THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


OHOOL  ELOCUTION 


A   MANUAL  OF 

VOCAL  TRAINING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS,  NORMAL 

SCHOOLS,  AND  ACADEMIES 


BY 

JOHI^  SWETT 

PRINCIPAL  OF  THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  GIRLS'  HIGH  AND  NORMAL  SCHOOL 

EX-STATE  SUPERINTENDENT  OF  PUBLIC  INSTRUCTION,  STATE  OF 

CALIFORNIA  ;    AUTHOR  OF  "  METHODS  OF  TEACHING  " 


NEW  YOEK  .:•  CINCINNATI  •:•  CHICAGO 
AMERICAN    BOOK    COMPANY 


Copyright,  1884,  by  A.  L.  Bancroft  &  Co. 


S>.  Hppleton  &.  Company 
Dew  l?orti,  U  S.  a 


PRBKACK. 


This  book  is  not  an  elaborate  treatise,  designed  for  special  teach- 
ers of  elocution,  but  a  drill-book  of  essentials  for  use  by  teachers 
that  do  not  make  elocution  a  specialty.  In  most  High  and  Normal 
schools,  and  in  the  advanced  Grammar  grades,  the  curriculum  is  so 
crowded  that  there  is  no  time  for  the  special  training  given  by 
professional  teachers  of  elocution  to  select  classes  of  private  pupils. 

The  time  generally  allotted  to  reading  and  elocution  seldom  ex- 
ceeds that  allowed  for  vocal  music — perhaps  one  or  two  hours  a 
week.  Hence  the  successful  training  of  larg?  classes  involves  a 
great  deal  of  concert  drill;  and  this  requires  the  use  of  a  suitable 
manual  of  principles,  directions,  and  drill  exercises. 

This  treatise  owes  its  existence  to  the  difficulties  met  with  in 
the  management  of  a  very  large  High  school,  including  a  post- 
graduate Normal  department,  in  which  an  honest  effort  has  been 
made  to  secure  a  fair  degree  of  attention  to  school  reading  and 
elocution. 

Fully  realizing  the  limitations  of  teachers  in  similar  schools,  I 
have  endeavored  to  keep  within  the  bounds  of  what  it  is  possible 
to  accomplish  without  makmg  elocution  a  hobby.  The  salient 
points  of  this  hand-book  are  as  follows 

1.  It  includes  only  what  it  is  possible  to  take  up  without  material 
interference  with  the  ordinary  school  curriculum. 

2.  It  embraces  only  what  pupils  of  average  ability  are  capable  of 
comprehending  and  mastering. 

3.  It  includes  a  fair  outfit  of  principles  and  practice  for  those 
who  intend  to  become  teachers. 

4.  It  can  be  effectively  used  by  teachers  who  are  not  specialists 
In  elocution. 


IV  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

5.  It  contains  clear  and  concise  statements  of  principles  and 
rules. 

6.  It  is  characterized  by  the  copiousness  and  freshness  of  the 
illustrative  drill-examples. 

It  was  my  good  fortune,  more  than  thirty  years  ago,  to  be  a 
student  imder  that  most  critical  and  scholarly  elocutionist  and  Nor- 
mal-school instructor,  Professor  William  Russell;  and  it  is  natural 
that  I  should  follow  in  the  steps  of  my  revered  instructor.  I  am  also 
indebted  to  many  excellent  manuals  on  elocution  for  principles  and 
examples  that  constitute  the  common  stock  of  matter  on  this  sub- 
ject. 

I  am  under  obligations  to  the  publishers  of  the  works  of  Ameri- 
can authors  for  permission  to  make  short  extracts  from  then-  pub- 
lications, and  in  particular,  to  Houghton,  jMifflin  &  Co.,  for  extracts 
from  Longfellow,  Whittier,  Holmes,  Lowell,  and  Emerson. 

JOHN  SWETT. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I.    ORTHOPHONY  AND  ORTHOEPY. 

I.    Introductory  Hints  and  Directions 11 

II.    Vowel  Sounds 15 

III.  Consonant  Sounds 35 

IV.  Classification  of  Elementary  Sounds 39 

V.    Orthoepy 45 


PART  II.    PRINCIPLES  IN  ELOCUTION. 

CHAPTER  I.     EMPHASIS,    PAUSES,    AND  INFLECTIONS. 


I. 
II. 


III. 


Emphasis        .         .         .         • 
Pauses    ..... 
I.    Grammatical  Pauses    . 
II.    Rhetorical  Pauses 

III.  Rules  for  Rhetorical  Pauses 

IV.  Emphatic  Pauses 
Inflection         .... 

I.    The  Rising  Inflection  . 
II.    The  Falling  Inflection 

III.  Inflection  of  the  Parenthesis 

IV.  The  Circumflex  Inflection 
V.    The  Monotone    . 

VI.    Examples  of  Pauses,  Emphasis,  and  Inflection 


57 

64 

65 

65 

69 

73 

75 

82 

95 

109 

111 

119 

128 


CHAPTER  11.     FORCE   AND   STRESS. 


I.    Force  of  Voice 


141 


I.    Very  Soft  Force 144 

II.    Soft  or  Subdued  Force 144 

III.  Moderate  Force 147 

IV.  Loud  Force 149 

V.  Very  Loud  or  Declamatory  Force  .         .         •        .151 


II.    Stress  of  Voice 


I. 

II. 
III. 

IV. 


Radical  Stress  . 
Median  Stress  . 
Vanishing  Stress 
Thorough  Stress 
Compound  Stress 


155 
155 
165 
172 
175 
180 


Intermittent  Stress      .......     181 

(V) 


VI 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


CHAPTER  in.     MOVEMENT. 

I.    Moderate  Movement 187 

II.  Fast  Movement 189 

III.  Very  Fast  Movement 191 

IV.  Slow  Movement 194 

V.  Very  Slow  Movement 195 

CHAPTER  IV.     PITCH   OF  VOICE. 

I.    Introductory 199 

II.    Concert  Drill 200 

III.  Faults 201 

IV.  Examples  of  Middle  Pitch 201 

V.    Examples  of  High  Pitch 203 

VI.  Examples  of  Low  Pitch 209 

VII.    Examples  of  Very  Low  Pitch 211 

CHAPTER  V.     QUALITY   OF  VOICE. 

I.    Pure  Tone 216 

II.     The  Orotund 220 

III.  Aspirated  Quality 230 

IV.  Guttural  Quality 237 

V.    The  Falsetto 238 

VI.    The  Semitone 239 

CHAPTER  VI.     MODULATION   AND   STYLE  OF  EXPRESSION. 

I.    Modulation 245 

II.    The  Reading  of  Poetry 248 

III.  Imitative  Reading 255 

IV.  Exercises  in  Modulation 259 

V.    Dialect  Reading  and  Personation 262 


PART  III.    MISCELLANEOUS  SELECTIONS. 

SECTION  I.  PROSE  SELECTIONS. 


1. 

Elocutionary  Training 

.... 

277 

2. 

Good  Reading 

.      John  S.  ITari 

279 

3. 

Tiie  Music  of  the  Human  Voice 

Prnf.  IVm.  Rusucll 

280 

4. 

The  Art  of  Reading 

.  Dr.  Rush 

281 

5. 

On  Learning  hy  Heart 

Lnshington 

283 

6. 

School  Libraries 

. 

286 

7. 

Poems 

Oliver  JFendcU  Holmes 

287 

SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


Vll 


8.  Scrooge  and  Marley 

9.  Defense  of  Poetry     . 

10.  Falstaff   ,         .         .         . 

11.  Wealth    .         .         .         . 

12.  The  Astronomer's  Vision 

13.  Education 

14.  Mathematics  and  Physics 


Charles  Dickciis 

JVilliam  Ellery  Channing 

Henry  Giles 

Ralph  Waldo  Emerson 

Professor  Huxley 
,        ,  Herbert  Silencer 


288 
293 
296 
298 
300 
302 
304 


SECTION   II.     PROSE  DECLAMATIONS. 


10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 
21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 
26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 


Character  of  True  Eloquence 

National  Greatness  . 

The  Passing  of  the  Rubicon 

Our  Duties  to  Our  Countiy 

The  American  War  . 

Freedom  .... 

The  Voices  of  the  Dead    . 

Grattan's  Reply  to  Mr.  Corry 

Supposed  Speech  of  John  Adams 

The  Constitution  and  the  Union 

The  Constitution 

Duties  of  American  Citizens 

Labor      .... 

The  Future  of  America    . 

Patriotism 

The  Fourth  of  July . 

True  Greatness 

The  Normans  . 

Washington's  Birthday    . 

Nations  and  Humanity    . 

Character  of  Washington 

Bunker  Hill  Monument  . 

The  Birthday  of  Washington 

The  National  Clock 

Free  Schools   . 

The  Ballot       . 

Educational  Power  . 

Schools  and  Teachers 

Elements  of  the  American  Governmeut 


.  Daniel  Webster 
John  Bright 
Knowles 
.  Daniel  Webster 
.  Lord  Chatham 
Col.  E.  D.  Baker 
.     Orville  Dewey 

.  Daniel  Webster 

.  Daniel  Webster 

.  Daniel  Webster 

.  Daniel  Webster 

Orville  Dewey 

.  Daniel  Webster 

.    T.  F.  Meagher 

.  Daniel  Webster 

Thomas  Starr  King 

Frederick  P.  Tracy 

.  Daniel  Webster 

.  Geo.   W.  Curtis 

Phillips 

.  Daniel  Webster 

Rufus  Choate 

Thomas  Starr  King 

Horace  Mann 

.     E.  H.  Chapin 


Daniel  Webster 


307 
308 
309 
310 
311 
312 
313 
314 
315 
317 
317 
318 
819 
320 
321 
322 
323 
325 
326 
327 
328 
329 
331 
332 
333 
334 
335 
337 
338 


SECTION  III.     RECITATIONS  AND   READINGS:   POETRY. 


1.  The  Crowded  Street 

2.  The  Builders   . 


William  Cullen  Bryant     340 
.      H.   W.  Longfellow     341 


VIU 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


3. 

Psalm  of  Life  . 

4. 

Apostrophe  to  the  Ocean  . 

5. 

Battle  of  Waterloo  . 

6. 

Santa  Filomena 

7. 

The  Death  Struggle 

8. 

Sandalphon 

9. 

The  Old  Continentals       . 

10. 

The  Winds      . 

11. 

The  Day  is  Done     . 

12. 

The  Battlefield 

13. 

Hymn  to  Mont  Blanc 

14. 

Morning  Hymn 

15. 

Thanatopsis     . 

16. 

Gray's  Elegy   . 

17. 

Daniel  Webster 

18. 

St.  Augustine's  Ladder    . 

19. 

Ring  Out,  Wild  Bells      . 

20. 

Summer  Rain .         .         .         . 

21. 

Hymn  to  the  North  Star 

22. 

The  American  Flag 

23. 

The  Chambered  Nautilus 

24. 

Kentucky  Belle 

25. 

The  Charcoal  Man  . 

26. 

Grandmother's  Story  of  Bunke 

r  HUl 

.      H.  TF.  Longfellow  342 

Lord  Byron  344 

iMrd  Byron  346 

.      H.  W.  Longfellow  347 

Sir  Waller  Scott  349 

.      E.  W.  Longfellow  350 

McMastcrs  352 

William  Cullen  Bryant  354 

.      H.  W.  Longfellow  356 

William  Cullen  Bryant  357 

.    Coleridge  359 

John  Milton  362 

William  Cullen  Bryant  363 

366 

Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  371 

H.  W.  Longfellow  373 

.    Tennyson  375 

James  Russell  Lowell  376 

William  Cullen  Bryant  377 

Drake  379 

Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  381 

Coistance  F.  Woolson  382 

Trowbridge  389 

.   0.  W.  Holmes  391 


PART   I. 


PART  I. 

ORTHOPHONY  AND  ORTHOEPY. 


SECTIOl^  I. 

INTRODUCTORY  HINTS  AND  DIRECTIONS. 

1.  As  correct  pronuuciation  is  an  essential  of  good 
reading,  it  is  important  tliat  pupils  should  acquire  at 
the  outset  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  elementary 
sounds  of  the  Enghsh  language,  and  that  they  should 
be  trained  to  a  ready  command  of  the  organs  of  speech. 

2.  The  melody  of  our  mother-tongue  depends  in  a 
great  measure  on  the  fullness  and  purity  with  which 
the  vowel  sounds  are  given.  The  most  marked  provin- 
cialisms in  our  country  consist  chiefly  in  the  peculiar 
shades  of  sound  given  to  certain  vowels. 

3.  In  high  schools  and  normal  scliools,  if  anywhere, 
critical  attention  ought  to  be  given  to  pronunciation. 
It  is  desirable  that  pupils  should  become  familiar  with 
the  diacritical  marks  of  the  dictionary  in  order  that 
they  may  be  able  to  find,  by  themselves,  the  correct 
pronunciation  of  any  word. 

4.  It  is  the  object  of  the  following  lessons  to  train 
(1)  the  ear  to  the  correct  sound ;  (2)  the  voice  to  distinct 
enunciation ;  and  (3)  the  eye  to  the  use  of  diacritical 
marks. 

(11) 


12  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

I.    Hints  to  Teachers. 

1.  In  all  short  concert  drill  exercises,  require  pupils 
to  stand,  and  to  stand  erect.  Let  the  concert  drill  be 
preceded  by  a  breathing  exercise. 

2.  Insist  upon  it  that  pupils  hold  tlie  book  properly 
in  the  left  hand,  high  enough  to  bring  the  head  erect.    ' 

3.  In  the  more  difficult  drill  exercises,  the  teacher 
should  first  read  the  examples,  requiring  pupils  to  repeat 
in  concert.  To  some  extent,  elocution  must  be  taught 
by  imitation. 

4.  The  true  economy  of  time  in  vocal  culture,  as  in 
vocal  music,  consists  in  training  large  numbers  together. 
The  concert  drill  lessons  may  be  given  to  two  or  three 
hundred  pupils  in  the  assembly  hall  as  effectively  as  to 
a  single  class  in  the  recitation  room. 

5.  The  concert  drill  in  phonic  spelling  is  designed  to 
give  pupils  the  full  command  of  their  vocal  organs,  and 
also  to  secure  accurate  articulation,  enunciation,  and 
pronunciation.  At  first,  it  may  be  desirable  for  the 
teacher  to  lead  the  class,  giving  every  sound  clearly, 
forcibly,  and  distinctly. 

6.  The  grouped  lists  of  words  illustrating  the  vowel 
sounds  should  be  pronounced  distinctly  and  forcibly  by 
the  teacher,  then  by  the  class  in  concert,  and  finally, 
by  individual  pupils.  The  monosyllables  in  these  lists 
should  be  spelled  by  sound,  first  by  th.e  teacher,  next 
by  the  class  in  concert,  and,  finally,  by  individual  pupils, 

7.  Insist  upon  it  that  pupils  practice  every  lesson,  after 
it  has  been  read  in  school,  at  home,  by  themselves. 

8.  Impress  upon  pupils  the  fact  that  good  reading, 
like  vocnl  music,  requires  long-continued  practice. 

9.  Insist  upon  it  tliat  pupils,  when  reading,  shall  raise 
their  eyes  from  the  book  when  approaching  the  end  of 
a  sentence,  and  repeat  the  last  five  or  ten  words  look- 
ing directly  at  the  teacher  or  the  class. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  13 

II.    Hints  to  Pupils. 

1.  Stand  erect  when  you  read,  and  hold  the  book  in 
your  left  hand,  high  enough  to  bring  the  head  erect. 

2.  By  frequent  inhalations,  keep  your  lungs  well  filled 
with  air. 

3.  Eead  loud  enough  to  be  easily  heard  by  every  mem- 
ber of  your  class.  If  possible,  look  over  the  advance 
lesson  before  the  hour  of  class  drill. 

4.  After  the  class  drill  at  school,  read  each  lesson  by 
yourself  at  home.  You  can  become  a  good  reader  only 
by  patient  and  persevering  practice. 

5.  If  you  have  any  marked  faults  in  reading,  you 
must  endeavor  to  correct  them  by  self-culture  out  of 
school. 

6.  Enter  into  the  spirit  of  whatever  you  read,  and 
read  it  so  as  to  convey  that  spirit  to  those  who  listen. 

7.  Think  about  the  meaning  of  what  you  read.  Eefer 
to  the  dictionary  for  the  definition  of  any  word  you  do 
not  fully  comprehend,  or  for  the  pronunciation  of  any 
word  with  which  you  are  not  familiar. 

8.  Listen  attentively  to  the  reading  of  your  teacher, 
or  of  the  best  readers  in  the  class,  and  try  to  imitate 
their  style  of  reading. 

9.  Train  yourself  to  the  habit  of  raising  your  eyes 
from  the  book  to  look  at  the  teacher  or  the  class.  It 
is  a  matter  of  politeness  to  look  at  those  to  whom  you 
speak,  or  to  whom  you  read.  As  you  approach  the  end 
of  a  sentence,  glance  your  eye  along  the  words  in  ad- 
vance of  the  tongue,  and  then  complete  the  sentence 
without  looking  on  the  book.  It  is  a  good  plan  to 
practice  this  by  yourself  before  a  mirror. 

10.  Endeavor  to  become  so  familiar  with  the  diacrit- 
ical marks  that  you  can  find  out,  for  yourself,  from  the 
dictionary,  the  pronunciation  of  any  word  without  re- 
ferring to  the  key,  the  table  of  sounds,  or  the  teacher. 


14  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

III.      PllELIMINAKY   BREATHING  EXERCISES. 

Concert  drill  exercises  in  articulation  and  2J^'ominciation 
shoidd  he  preceded  hy  short  treathing  exercises.  Tliese 
may  he  conducted  in  a  great  variety  of  ways,  of  which 
only  a  few  are  here  indicated.  The  length  of  time  in 
inhaling  or  exhaling  may  he  regulated  hy  the  rise  or  fall 
of  the  teacher  s  hand. 

1.  Stand  erect ;  feet  firm ;  body  braced ;  shoulders  well 
back^  arms  akimbo. 

2.  Inhale  slowly  through  the  nostrils  for  five  seconds; 
exhale  slowly  through  the  nostrils  for  five  seconds. 
Eepeat  five  times.  Eegulate  the  inhaling  and  exhaling 
by  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  hand.  In  inhaling,  fill  the 
lower  part  of  the  lungs  and  do  not  elevate  the  shoulders.. 

3.  Take  a  similar  exercise,  prolonging  the  time,  first 
to  ten  seconds,  next  to  fifteen  seconds,  and  finally  to 
twenty  seconds. 

4.  Inhale;  exhale  slowly,  giving,  in  a  soft  whisper, 
the  sound  of  "  Ah ! "  prolonged  for  five  seconds ;  ten 
seconds ;   as  long  as  possible. 

5.  Inhale ;  exhale  slowly,  giving  the  sound  of  long  o, 
in  pure  tone,  prolonged  for  five  seconds ;  next  for  ten 
seconds ;  then  foi  fifteen  seconds ;  and  finally,  as  long 
as  possible. 

6.  Inliale ;  exhale  slowly,  giving  for  ten  seconds  the 
sound  of  long  e;    of  Italian  a;   of  long  oo. 

7.  Inhale  ;  repeat,  in  monotone,  the  long  vowels,  a,  e,  i, 
0,  u,  until  the  breath  is  exhausted. 

8.  Inhale;  count,  with  one  breath,  to  10;  next,  to  20; 
then,  to  30. 

9.  Repeat,  in  one  breath,  the  letters  of  the  alphabet. 

10.  Inhale  slowly ;  exhale  slowly,  giving  the  sound  of 
liquid  I  prolonged  for  five  seconds ;  ten  seconds ;  fifteen 
seconds  ;  twenty  seconds ;  next,  the  sound  of  m ;  of  n ; 
of  r. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


15 


SECTION   II. 

VOWEL    SOUNDS    OR    VOCALS. 

I.    Table  of  Diacritical  Markings. 

I.     PHONIC    MARKS    OF    VOCAtS. 


Macron, 

Breve. 

Circumflex. 

Tuio  dots. 

One  dot 

Waue  or 

— 

^ 

A, 

'• 

• 

Tilde.  '- 

file 

at 

air 

arm,  all 

ask,  what 

eve,  they 

end 

where 

her 

Ice,   by 

it,  lynx 

pique 

sir 

did 

on 

or 

prove 

son,  wdf 

moon 

book 

use 

up 

urge 

rule 

pull 

II.      EQUIVALENT    VOCALS    OB    SUBSTITUTES. 


ar=o 

what. 

not 

6  =  ii 

done. 

siin 

e=:a 

they, 

day 

0,    U  =  00 

move. 

rule,     school 

i  =  e 

sir, 

her 

0,     11=:  00 

wolf. 

pull,     M'OOl 

e  =  a 

there. 

care 

y  =  i 

rhyme. 

time 

i  =  e 

pique, 

weak 

y-i 

hymn, 

whim 

6  rr  a 

or, 

all 

III.      MABKINGS    OF    SUBVOCAUS    AND    ASPIRATES. 


q,  9h  =  s,  sh 

qent, 

9hai§e 

§  =  z 

i§,       ro§e 

€,  €hz=k 

■eake. 

a-ehe 

£h,  vocal 

fhis,   Chat 

g,  hard 

go, 

get 

n  =  ng 

ink,    wink 

a  —  \ 

t>  —J 

gem, 

age 

?  =  gz 

example 

16 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


II.    Illustkations  OF  Vocals. 

I.     The  long  sound  of  a. 

Marked  with  a  macron,  thus — a.  The  equivalents  of 
long  a  are  also  included.  Avoid  prolonging  the  vanish- 
infT  e  sound,  thus — ma-eed  for  made. 

age  day  break  great 

pale  gay  steak  straight 

aid  may  deign  weight 

paid  way  reign  freight 


gauge 

yea 

neigh 

—   O 

sleigh 


a're  a 

narked 

may'or 

ma'tron 

ma'cron 


WORDS    OFTEN    MISPRONOUNCED. 

ra''dix  prai'rie 

ra'^tion  ^ais'son 


pa'tron 
pasf'ry 
sa'chem 


gla'mour 
hein'ous 
pa'tri  ot 


a'pri  cot 
ap  pa  ra^'tus 
maelstrom 
pa  tri  ot'ic 
va'ri  e  gat  ed 


IL     Italian  or  open  a. 

Marked  with  two  dots  over  it,  thus — a.     Avoid   the 
provincialism  of  haf  for  half,  laf  for  laugh,  etc. 


art 

€alf 

piilm 

iih! 

giiunt 

liiunch 

are 

liiilf 

psiilm 

biih! 

hiiuut 

stiiunch 

arm 

halves 

siilve 

piifhs 

jiiunt 

liiugh 

alms 

•ealves 

lath 

aunt 

tiiunt 

quiilms 

bfilni 

biith 

gape 

daunt 

criiunch       zouiive 

■eiilui 

path 

wriith 

flaunt 

hiiunch 

heiirth 

WORDS   OFTEN 

MISPRONOUNCED. 

dauntless 

jaun^dice 

saun 

'ter 

Col  0  rii'do 

guii'va 

liiun'dry 

jaunt'y 

Ne  vii'da 

gua'no 

laughler 

pi  ii'no 

Mon  tii'na 

gauntlet 

llii'ma 

so  prii'no 

Tu  lii're 

haunt'ed 

pla'za 

flnti 

/le 

So  lii'no 

SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  17 

in.     The  broad  sound  of  a. 

Marked  with  two  dots  under  it,  thus — a.  Avoid  the 
two  extremes:  (1)  That  of  giving  a  the  sound  of  short 
o,  as  611  for  awl,  etc.  (2)  That  of  making  a  equal  to 
two  syllables,  as  a\/ul  for  all,  caw'iil  for  call,  etc. 


ball 

€aught 

chalk 

al'der 

fau'^et 

tall 

ought 

talic 

aFways 

€al'dron 

drawl 

brought 

stalk 

au^ger 

fal'^hion 

erawl 

thought 

gauze 

€au'-eus 

pal'try 

sprawl 

groat 

haul 

sau^qer 

6/der 

IV.     The  short  sound  of  a. 

Marked  with  a  breve,  thus — a.  Avoid  giving  short  a, 
as  in  at,  the  sound  of  intermediate  a,  as  in  ask,  or  of 
Italian  a,  as  in  alms.  Say  and,  not  and ;  an^swer,  not 
an'swer,  etc. 

and  an'swer  pat^'ent  ra'tion  al 

bade  bar'rel  pag'eant  rail'le  ry 

€atch  har'row  rath'er  sat'ir  ist 

])lant  nia/ry  na'tion  al  suav'i  ty 

plaid  na/row  pat'ron  age  tap'est  ry 


V.     Sound  of  a  as  in  care. 

Marked  with  a  circumflex,  thus — a.  Avoid  the  two 
extremes :  (1)  That  of  giving  it  the  sound  of  Italian  a, 
as  char  for  chair,  thar  for  there,  etc.  (2)  That  of  long 
a,  as  €a'er  for  -eare,  thtVer  for  there,  a'er  for  air,  etc. 


air 

swear 

there 

pare 

par'ent 

dare 

square 

where 

pair 

fai/y 

rare 

weir 

their 

fare 

char'y 

fair 

hare 

hair 

lair 

S€arce'ly 

bear 

pear 
2 

heir 

prayer 

s^ar'Qi  ty 

18 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


YL     Intermediate  a,  as  in  ask. 

Marked  with  a  dot  over  it,  thus — a.  This  is  a  medium 
sound  between  Italian  a  and  short  a.  Avoid  the  two 
extremes :  (1)  That  of  Italian  a,  as  farst  for  fast,  darnce 
for  dance,  etc.  (2)  That  of  short  a,  as  ask  for  ask,  dance 
lor  dance,  after  for  after,  etc. 


ask 

€hant 

dance 

graft 

lance 

quaff 

ant 

€haff 

daft 

grant 

mass 

raft 

aft 

€hance 

draft 

glance 

mast 

rasp 

bask 

€ast 

draught 

gasp 

mask 

shaft 

basque 

€lass 

fast 

grasp 

pass 

staff 

brass 

€raft 

llask 

hasp 

past 

slant 

blast 

■elasp 

glass 

haft 

pant 

task 

■easque 

•eask 

grass 

last 

prance 

trauce 

T.    WORDS   OFTEN  MISPRONOUNCED. 

In  all  these  words  be  careful  to  give  a  its  intermediate 
sound  as  in  ask,  not  the  short  sound  as  in  and. 


after 

fast'er 

mas^'ter 

pass'port 

bas'ket 

fast'est 

mas'tiff 

raft'er 

■eas'ket 

glass'y 

pas^time 

slant'iug 

■elass'es 

grass'y 

pas'tor 

task' work 

-eraft'y 

last'ing 

plas'ter 

vast'ness 

^rafts'man 

mass'ive 

past'ure 

waft'ed 

II.    WORDS  OFTEN  MISPRONOUNCED. 


a  slant' 

com  mand' 

ad  van'tage 

a  mass' 

dis  mast' 

ad  vance'ment 

a  las' 

de  mand' 

com  mand'ment 

a  A'ast 

en  hance' 

en  chant'ment 

ad  vance 

en  chant' 

en  hance'ment 

a  baft' 

per  chance' 

re  mand'ed 

SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


19 


VIL     Sound  of  a  as  in  what. 

Marked  with  a  dot  under  it,  thus — a. 
equivalent  to   short   o,   as   in  nut.      The 
pronounced  hwut,  not  wiit. 

squash  squaVble 

swap  squat'ter 

swan  squal'id 

swamp  squad'ron 

swab  qua/rel 

wand  swallow 


was 

wad 

^^asp 

yacht 

S(|uab 

squad 


This  sound  is 
word   ichat   is 

staVwart 

wal-let 

wal'low 

wadMle 

wm/ton 

Mas'sail 


Call  on  the  class  for  additional  words. 


vin.     The  long  sound  of  e. 

Marked  with  a  macron,  thus — e.      Long  e  is  one  of 
the  three  vowel  extremes,  a  and  o  being  the  other  two. 


be 

thief 

ei'ther 

e'go  tism 

tree 

niece 

nei'ther 

e'qui  poise 

beam 

siege 

lei'gure 

le'ni  ent 

■clean 

seize 

le'ver 

a  me'na  ble 

ear 

deed 

fe'brile 

pre  (jed'ence 

eaves 

fierce 

fe'ti9h 

re'qui  em 

IX.     The  short  sound  of  e. 

Avoid  yit  for  yet,  aig 


Marked  with  a  breve,  thus^-e. 
for  egg,  etc. 


beg 

feoff 

leath'er 

ket'tle 

tepid 

leg 

any 

mea§'ure 

met'ric 

tcn'et 

bread 

mer'ry 

plea§'ure 

preface 

res'in 

said 

bur'y 

bes'tial 

petlel 

a  gain' 

says 

heifer 

dee'ade 

perltke 

a  gainsf 

deaf 

leop'ard 

fetid 

seck'el 

for  get' 

20 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


X.     Sound  of  e  as  in  verge. 


Marked  with 

a  ^ 

svave  or 

tilde,  thus — e. 

This  sound 

nearly  coincides 

with  the  sound 

of  u  as  in 

urge,  but  is 

not  quite  so  broad 

and   guttural.      Avoid 

the   error  of 

sounding  e  like 

ai, 

as  airth 

for 

earth,  etc. 

Give  the  r 

after  e  its  full  sound. 

err              serve 

earth 

er'mine 

serv'ant 

her             verse 

earn 

earn'est 

ve/dict 

herd           verge 

learn 

mer'cy 

herb'age 

fern            verb 

heard 

nier^chant 

earn'ings 

pert            were 

myrrh 

pei-'son 

ser'mon 

nerve         germ 

thirst 

per'fect 

ser'vice 

XL     Sound  of  e  as  in  there. 

Marked   with   a   circumflex,  thus — e.      This    sound   is 
identical  with  the  sound  of  a  as  in  care. 

there  air  hair  there'fore 


where                    ere                     heir 

where^fore 

their                     e'er                    ne'er 

where  a§' 

XIL     Sound  of  e  as  in  they. 

Marked  with  a  macron  under  it,  thus — e. 

This  sound 

is  identical  with  long  a. 

they             whey             weight             vein 

neigh'bor 

prey             way               freight             vain 

hein'ous 

pray             neigh             straight           deign 

la'bor 

xiiL     The  long  sound  of  i  and  y. 

Marked  with  a  macron,  thus — I,  y. 

Isle  die  liar  fire  ho  rI''zon 

style  eye  lyre  buy'er  in  quir'y 

fire  ties  by  ti'ny  de  rl'sive 

lyre  aye§  rye  ty'rant  as  pir'ant 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


21 


XIV.     The  short  sound  of  i  and  y. 

Marked  with  a  breve,  thus — i,  y. 

hiin  lynx  dis'trict 

hymn  nymph  syn'od 

withe  sylph  vine'yard 

myth  rhythm  syr'inge 

pith  schigm  syn'tax 


trlb'une 

syr'up 

vi-e'ar 

pret'ty 

wit'ty 


XV.     Sound  of  i  as  in  first. 

Marked  with  a  wave  or  tilde,  thus — i. 
identical  with  the  sound  of  e  as  in  her. 
the  broader  and  more  guttural  sound  of 
Be  careful  to  give  r  its  full  sound. 


first 

thirst 

girl 

mirth 

firm 

worm 

world 

work 

worse 

worth 


birch 

birth 

dirge 

verge 

earth 

myrrh 

dearth 

bird 

gird 

pearl 


sir 

fir 

stir 

earn 

fern 

learn 

her 

perch 

heard 

hearse 


(^ii-'-ele 

9ir'-euit 

qir'^us 

gir'dle 

irk'some 

mer'cjy 

earthly 

ear'ly 

earn'est 

earth'en 


This  sound  is 
Avoid  giving 
iL  as  in  urge. 

vir'tue 


vir'gin 

stii-'rup 

squiT'rel 

sii-'loin 

thii-'ty 

worfh'y 

(jer'tain 

mirth'ful 

worthless 


XVL     Sound  of  i  as  in  pique. 


Marked 

with 

two  dots 

over  it,  tlius — i. 

This  sound 

is  equivalent  tc 

)  that  of  long 

e  as  in  me. 

an  tique' 

€ui  §ine' 

ma  chine' 

rou  tine' 

has  tile' 

de  bi-is' 

ma  rine' 

ra  vine' 

€a  price' 

e  lite' 

po  lice' 

re  gime' 

qhe  nille' 

en  nui' 

pe  tite' 

ton  tine' 

qhe  mi§e' 

fa  tigue' 

ob  lique' 

u  nique' 

cri  tique' 

fas  qine' 

pe  lisse' 

phy  §ique' 

22 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


xvn.     The  long  sound  of  o. 

Marked  with  a  macron,  thus — 5.  Avoid  shortening 
or  obscuring  the  sound  of  long  o  as  in  old,  in  such 
words  as  road,  coat,  home,  bone,  stone,  etc. 


b5ne 

■eolt 

jolt 

yoke 

on'ly 

stone 

■eomb 

most 

yolk 

6'ral 

both 

dait 

smoke 

quoth 

whoriy 

broke 

folks 

spoke 

beau 

close'ly 

choke 

h5ld 

flown 

show 

lonely 

cloak 

home 

whole 

won't 

tro'phy 

croak 

roam 

more 

do  n't 

o'pal 

oak 

hold 

roar 

goat 

6'dor 

I.    WORDS   OFTEN   MISPRONOUNCED. 

Avoid  the  error  of  saying  horse  for  hoarse,  force  for 
force. 


boat 

■coax 

door 

■e5arse 

gourd 

bl5w 

€oat 

load 

floor 

hoarse 

mourn 

trow 

t5ad 

loam 

brooch 

source 

toll 

glow 

toast 

oath 

pour 

force 

poll 

sew 

road 

5ats 

porch 

board 

s€roll 

quoth 

goad 

throat 

borne 

hoard 

roll 

gross 

II.    WORDS  OFTEN  MISPRONOUNCED. 

In  words  like  the  following,  avoid  the  error  of  giv- 
ing long  0  the  sound  of  o  as  in  or'der ;  as  bor'der  for 
board'er,  for'ger  for  for'ger,  por'trait  for  por'trait, 
etc.     Give  o  its  full,  long  sound. 

board'er  por'ter  an  cluYvy  de  eo'rous 

bowl'der  por'tion  a  ro'ma  dl  plo'ma  cy 

bSw'sprit  por'trait  ab  dcYuien  dl  plo'ma  tist 

poul'try  for'ger  €o  r5'na  op  po'nent 

poultice  stor'age  €on  do'lence  so  no'rous 

shoul'der  raourn'er  €og  n5'men  for'ger  y 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


23 


xviiL     The  short  sound  of  o. 

Marked  with  a  breve,  thus — o.  The  sound  of  short 
0,  as  in  not,  is  slightly  modified  by  the  different  con- 
sonants with  which  it  is  combined.  In  words  like  cough, 
gone,  loss,  etc.,  the  sound  of  short  o  is  modified  so  that 
it  tends  towards  a  sound  intermediate  between  short  o 
and  broad  a.  Avoid  the  common  error  of  saying  dawg 
or  dorg  for  dog ;  gawd  or  gord  for  god ;  also,  that  of 
gut  for  got,  etc. 


on 

dog 

off 

eost 

moth 

cough 

of 

f6g 

scoff 

lost 

cloth 

trough 

odd 

lug 

moss 

frost 

oft 

long 

box 

got 

loss 

sloth 

soft 

strong 

fox 

god 

toss 

broth 

loft 

gong 

phlox 

hod 

€ross 

troth 

gone 

wrong 

I.    WORDS  OFTEN   MISPRONOUNCED. 

In  every  word  give  o  its  clean-cut  short  sound. 


€om'ma 

do^'ile 

flor^'in 

mon'ad 

eom'mon 

don'key 

hov'el 

nom'ad 

€om'et 

for'est 

grov'el 

6ffi9e 

■eom'bat 

fore'head 

hor'rid 

or'ange 

€om'rade 

fron'tier 

jo€^md 

offset 

col'lar 

for'age 

loft> 

ofPing 

con'flict 

god'ly 

soft'ly 

dog'ma 

€ou'strue 

sloth'ful 

oft'en 

doc'tor 

II.    WORDS   OFTEN 

MISPRONO  CNCED. 

bon'net 

pro^'ess 

stoFid 

dol' 

or  ous 

€offee 

prog^'ress 

squal'id 

hor 

0  €aust 

€offin 

proj'ect 

quar'rel 

mon'o  gram 

■eor'al 

phon'ic 

be  troth' 

mSl 

'e  €ule 

prod'uct 

prov'ost 

be  long' 

on'er  ous 

prod'uce 

son'net 

ex  tol' 

or'a  ele 

24 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


XIX.     Sound  of  0  as  in  done. 

Marked  with  a  dot  over  it,  thus — 6.     This  sound  is 
identical  with  short  u  as  in  sun. 


none 

some 

a  bove' 

oven 

does 

tongue 

boin'bast 

on'ion 

doth 

rough 

bor'ough 

oth'er 

dost 

€61'or 

■eov'er 

plov'er 

€6me 

€6v'et 

hov'er 

€6iis'in 

bomb 

doz'en 

hon'ey 

slov'en 

blood 

€6u'jure 

mon'grel 

wor'ry 

XX.     Sound  of  0  as  in  move. 

Marked  with  two  dots  under  it,  thus — o.  This  sound 
is  identical  with  that  of  oo  in  moon,  and  of  u  after  r, 
as  in  rule.  Avoid  the  provincialism  of  reducing  the 
sound  of  o,  00,  and  u  to  that  of  long  m  or  ew,  thus — 
dew  for  do,  trew  for  true,  tew  for  to,  yew  for  you, 
skewl  for  school,  etc.  The  sound  of  o,  oo,  or  u  is  one 
of  the  extremes  of  the  vowel  scale,  made  correctly  by 
projecting  the  lips  free  from  the  teeth. 


move 

hoof 

croup 

youth 

€a  noe' 

prove 

roof 

group 

truth 

a  do" 

lo§e 

root 

soup 

through 

sham  poo' 

do 

boot 

M'hoop 

grew 

bam  boo' 

to 

spoon 

loop 

tool 

tat  too' 

too 

soon 

route 

ghoul 

ap  prove' 

two 

noon 

shoot 

con  tour' 

re  proof 

you 

schoo' 

wound 

ba  rourhe' 

be  hove' 

noose 

rule 

soon 

car  toucjhe'' 

gam  boge' 

loose 

im 

moon 

ta  boo' 

de  tour' 

cool 

rude 

your 

rul'er 

who 

goose 

ru§e 

shoe 

move'ment 

whom 

moose 

choo§e 

soothe 

moon'shine 

whose 

spoon 

fruit 

tour 

ob  trude' 

ru'ral 

SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  25 

XXL     Sound  of  0  as  in  for. 

Marked  with  a  circumflex,  thus — 6.  This  sound  of  o 
is  identical  with  broad  a  as  in  all.  It  occurs  before  r 
in  words  of  one  syllable ;  in  accented  syllables  when 
not  followed  by  another  r ;  and  also  in  the  derivatives 
of  such  words  as  north,  northern,  etc.  Be  careful  to 
give  r  its  full  sound. 


6r 

€orpse 

•eo/dial 

gor'geous 

cor^'ner 

for 

horse 

bo/der 

mor'tal 

cor'niye 

nor 

storm 

fo/mal 

mor'sel 

or'der 

born 

thorn 

fo/ceps 

mort'gage 

6r'(^hard 

wolf 

■eould  n't 

would 

would  n't 

€9uld 

should  n't 

b9'§om 

wood'en 

book 

pull 

€o6k 

hood 

hook 

put 

look 

push 

XXIL     Sound  of  0  as  in  wolf. 

Marked  with  a  dot  under  it,  thus — a  This  sound  is 
identical  with  that  of  short  oo,  as  in  book,  and  that  of 
u  as  in  full. 

wors^ted 
wolfish 
good'ness 
wo'man 

xxiiL     The  long  sound  of  u. 

Marked  with  a  macron,  thus — ti.  This  is  a  compound 
sound,  formed  of  a  slight  sound  of  y  joined  with  oo 
long.  After  d,  t,  I,  n,  and  s,  it  is  somewhat  difficult  to 
introduce  the  y  sound.  Avoid  the  two  extremes:  (1) 
That  of  overdoing  the  y  sound,  so  as  to  make  du'ty 
sound  like  jii'ty.  (2)  That  of  sounding  u  like  oo  long, 
as  doo'ty  for  dii'ty. 


u§e 

€ube 

diie 

lieii 

siiit 

piire 

fu§e 

€ure 

siie 

view 

deiice 

liire 

mii§e 

til  be 

hiie 

ewe 

feiid 

dupe 

mute 

tiine 

flue 

new 

sliiice 

diine 

26  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

I.    WORDS  OFTEN  MISPRONOUNCED. 


bu'gle 

flu'id 

niu'sic 

liu'mid 

beai/ty 

hu'man 

pu'pil 

nui'san^e 

€u'bi-e 

ju'ry 

pu'trid 

neu'ter 

du'ty 

lu'pme 

stu'pid 

suit'or 

II.    WORDS   OFTEN   MISPRONOUNCED. 

€om  mu'ni  €ate 

■eom  mu'ni  ty 

lu^na  9y 

€on  sti  tuition 

■eu''mu  la  tive 

lu'na  tic 

el  0  -eu^tion 

lu^miu  a  ry 

niu'§i  €al 

rev  0  lu'tion 

lu  gu'bri  ous 

ed^u  -eate 

in  sti  tu'tion 

per  pe  tu'i  ty 

€ar€u  late 

XXIV.  The  short  sound  of  u. 

Marked  with  a  breve,  thus — ii.  Avoid  the  vulgarism 
of  saying  op  for  tip,  on'der  for  iin'der,  etc.  Say  hiir'ry, 
not  hur^ry ;   €our'age,  not  eu/age. 

biid  bur'row  iin'der  eu/ren  cy 

biiff  fiir'row  iip'per  sov'er  eign 

dumb  miir'rain  iit'ter  hur'ri  cane 

eur'ry  fliir'ry  guf'ter  dron/e  da  ry 

XXV.  Sound  of  u  as  in  rule. 

Marked  with  two  dots  under  it,  tlius — u.  This  sound 
of  u,  when  it  follows  the  consonant  r,  is  identical  with 
that  of  0  as  in  move,  and  oo  in  moon.  Eule  rhymes 
with  fool,  rude  with  mood,  true  witli  too,  you  with  grew. 


brute 

rule 

brui§e 

pniMenqe 

ru'mor 

fruit 

school 

•eruige 

pru'dent 

tru'ant 

crude 

truth 

€ru'el 

prud^ish 

ti'ii'iy 

rude 

youth 

gru'el 

ru'in 

truffle 

prude 

true 

bru'tal 

rubral 

dru'id 

prune 

chew 

bru'in 

ruth'less 

do'ing 

SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  27 

XXVL     Sound  of  u  as  in  t.T^e. 

Marked  with  a  circumflex,  thus — u.  This  sound  occurs 
in  monosyllables  before  r  not  followed  by  a  vowel;  in 
accented  syllables  before  r  final,  or  r  followed  by  one 
or  more  consonants  different  from  itself,  and  in  deriva- 
tives from  any  such  words.  It  coincides  with  e  as  in 
verge,  i  as  in  thirst,  and  o  as  in  word,  except  that  u  is 
somewhat  broader  and  more  cjuttural. 


burn 

furl 

spurt 

word 

su/geon 

burst 

hurl 

spvirn 

work 

stur'geon 

€iir 

hurt 

purge 

worm 

mu/der 

■eurl 

purse 

urn 

world 

miir'mur 

eurse 

nurse 

turn 

worth 

bur^den 

XXVII.     Sound  of  u  as  in  full. 

Marked  with  a  dot  under  it  thus — u.  This  sound  is 
identical  with  that  of  o  as  in  wdf,  and  short  oo  as  in 
book. 


bull 

puss 

bullock 

puriet 

bush 

pull 

butcl/er 

pulley 

push 

full 

bush'eg 

puFpit 

put 

wolf 

burrush 

piidMing 

wood 

cook 

buFlet 

put'ting 

XXVIII.     The  diphthong  oi  as  in  oil. 

Thed 

iphthongs  oi 

and  oy 

are  equivalents. 

The  sound 

of  oi  is 

a  compound 

of  a+i. 

oil 

hoist 

foist 

joy 

boiler 

boil 

moist 

poige 

troy 

loi'ter 

broil 

joist 

noi§e 

boy 

roy'al 

•eoil 

toil 

quoit 

buoy 

loy'al 

€oin 

soil 

point 

toy 

oiiit'ment 

loin 

roil 

joint 

oys'ter 

voy'age 

28 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


XXIX.     The  diphthongs  ou  and  ow. 

The  diphthong  on,  identical  with  ow,  is  a 
of  a-f-o.  Open  the  moutli  freely  in  giving 
of  this  sound. 


out 

ounce 

our 

doubt 

drought 

gouge 


■eow 

how 

now 

owl 

fowl 

howl 


ground 

round 

sound 

■elown 

drown 

frown 


hour 

flour 

sour 

s€our 

plow 

slouo;h 


compound 
the  initial 

bower 

power 

lower 

shower 

tower 

dower 


III.    ExEECiSES  ON  Vocals. 

I.      HINTS    AND    SUGGESTIONS. 

Concert  drill  exercises  on  the  following  table  may  he 
given  as  follows : 

1.  Preliminary  breathing  exercise. 

2.  Concert  phonic  spelling  of  the  words  under  each 
vocal. 

3.  Concert  pronunciation  of  words,  with  various  de- 
grees of  force  from  the  whisper  to  loud  force,  and  with 
the  rising,  the  falling,  and  the  circumflex  inflections. 

4.  If  time  will  allow,  require  each  pupil,  singly,  to 
take  the  drill  indicated  above. 

II.     TABtB   OF  VOCALS. 

a. — ille,  silil,  pay,  they,  vein,  gauge,  break,  gaol. 
'  \x. — iih  !  tire,  hiilf,  liiugh,  hearth,  guard,  iiunt,  iilms. 
a,  6. — all,  awe,  aught,  broad,  stalk,  naught,  ought, 
a. — add,  and,  at,  bade,  plaid,  catch,  man,  hand, 
a,  e. — air,  dare,  befir,  there,  square,  ere,  heir,  e'er, 
a. — ant,  ask,  dance,  cliance,  glass,  last,  staff,  gasp, 
a,  o. — was,  wand,  wasp,  what,  swap,  not,  blot,  god. 
e. — me,  we,  bee,  bean,  fierce,  niece,  seize,  key,  tea. 
e. — end,  dread,  said,  say§,  deaf,  feoff,  yes,  get,  yet. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


29 


TABLE    OF    VOCAXS Continued. 

e,  1. — err,  her,  earth,  were,  verge,  myrrh,  thirst,  work. 
e,  a. — vein,  deign,  rein,  they,  prey,  weight,  neigh, 
e,  a. — there,  where,  air,  ere,  bare,  ne'er,  care,  e'er. 
1,  y. — ice,  pine,  fire,  lyre,  lie,  liar,  aisle,  aye§,  eye§. 
1. — in,  pin,  been,  hymn,  myth,  sieve,  build,  since. 

I,  e. — thirst,  first,  girl,  earn,  learn,  bird,  third,  worst. 
i,  e. — pique,  clique,  ob  lique',  pol  ice',  ma  rine^ 

6. — 51d,  oak,  broke,  pour,  ore,  door,  toll,  sew,  tow. 
6,  a. — odd,  not,  dog,  god,  lost,  off,  cough,  moss,  loss. 
o,  00,  u. — move,  moon,  rule,  do,  route,  true,  grew,  you. 
6,  a. — or,  nor,  horse,  quart,  wart,  corn,  storm,  born. 
6,  u. — done,  son,  d6e§,  doth,  sponge,  blood,  flood,  run. 
o,  00,  u. — wolf,  would,  wood,  should,  book,  cook,  put. 
ii. — u§e,  mu§e,  diie,  few,  view,  feiid,  tiine,  cube,  tube, 
u,  6. — tub,  but,  diist,  triist,  done,  d6e§,  bomb,  criimb. 
u,  00,  o. — rule,  rude,  truth,  youth,  spoon,  move,  prove. 
u. — urge,  purge,  burn,  turn,  fur,  burr,  cur,  curl,  furl. 

II,  do,  0. — put,  pull,  piish,  bush,  puss,  book,  took. 
oi,  oy. — oil,  boil,  toil,  boy,  joy,  cloy,  roil,  coil,  foil, 
ou,  ow. — out,  our,  ounce,  flour,  power,  sour,  owl. 

III.    CONCERT  DRILL. 

In  concert  drill  on  the  followimj  table,  observe  the  fol- 
lowing directions. 

1.  Eead  the  columns  vertically. 

2.  Eepeat  with  slow  movement;   moderate;   fast. 

3.  Repeat  in  a  forcible  wliisper. 

4.  Eepeat  with  gentle  force;   moderate;  loud. 


a-a-a 

e-e-e 

ll-U-U 

a-a-a 

i-i-I 

u-ii-ii 

a-a-a 

i-i-i 

U-ll-U 

a-a-a 

6-5-5 

u-u-u 

e-e-e 

W         V         w 

0-0—0 

oi-oi-oy 

^^     v      ^ 

e-e-e 

o-o-o 

ou-nu-ow 

30 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


IV.    Vowel  Sounds  in  Unaccented  Syllaj^les. 

There  are  many  delicate  shades  of  sound  in  unac- 
cented vowels  which  must  be  learned  from  the  lips  of 
the  living  teacher,  or  by  noticing  carefully  the  pro- 
nunciation of  educated  and  critical  2:)eople. 

L     Final  unaccented  ar,  er,  ir,  or,  yr. 

The  vowels  a,  e,  i,  o,  u,  y,  preceding  r  in  final  unac- 
cented syllables,  have  the  sound  of  c  as  in  her. 


beg'gar 

al'der 

iirlnor 

suFphur 

■eoriar 

banlier 

jir'dor 

au'gur 

dol'lar 

lad^'der 

€6ror 

zeph'yr 

Ifar 

pamper 

o'dor 

marlyr 

molar 

ta'pir 

parlor 

salyr 

polar 

na'dir 

felnur 

hon'or 

stellar 

mill  or 

lelinir 

fron(-urn) 

^ellar 

ma'jor 

miirluur 

a'pron(-uru) 

II.     Final 

-ain  like  -en. 

€ap^tain 

mill 

•1-ain 

chieftain 

■eurlain 

villain 

chaplain 

qe/taiu 

bar' 

gain 

planlain 

III.     Words  having  a  or  o  unaccented. 

In  words  like  the  following,  a  or  o  in  unaccented  final 
sylhibles  has  a  slightly  obscured  sound  of  short  u. 


filial 

vftal 

phanlom 

ten'ant 

fis'-eal 

vf/^al 

tran'som 

grdlop 

le'gal 

velial 

hand'some 

brillad 

menial 

■eomlnon 

hamlnock 

sal'ad 

morlal 

€usloni 

hiirock 

sealnan 

na'gal 

blos'som 

or'phau 

firelnan 

na'val 

dragoon 

tru'ant 

brake'man 

oVal 

ser'mon 

serv'ant 

barance 

SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  31 

IV.     Final  unaccented  a. 

Unaccented  a,  at  the  end  of  a  word,  has  the  sound 
of  intermediate  a,  verging    towards    short  u,  as  com'ma 


or  com'mu. 

cun/nia 

al'ge  bra 

pi  az'za 

va  nil'la 

e'la 

a're  a 

CO  ro'na 

guer  il'la 

ex  tra 

a  re^ua 

ver'te  bra 

fa  ri'na 

\xi\k 

ci/po  la 

man  til'la 

lam'i  na 

nil'ca 

op'e  ra 

scin  tiHa 

mem  o  ran'da 

so'i'a 

i  de'a 

um  brel'la 

a  natl/e  ma 

V.     Sound  of  a  in  unaccented  final  syllables. 

In  words  like  the  following,  a  has  the  sound  of  short 
•  as,  -age:=ej,  and  -ate  =  et. 


coil /age 

mar'riage 

sav'age 

paFate 

dam'age 

Ciir'riage 

iig'age 

pfrate 

drain'age 

O 

inlle''age 

ag'ate 

frig'ate 

f]  outrage 

post'age 

cli'mate 

ad  vaa'tage 

leak^age 

tillage 

pri^^ate 

per  ^ent'age 

VI.     Unaccented  a  as  an  initial  syllable. 

In  the  first  syllable  of  words  like  the  following,  the 
vowel  a,  when  unaccented,  has  nearly  the  sound  of  short 
a  a  little  obscured,  or  of  a  as  in  ask,  verging  towards 
short  71 ;  as  a  bout',  a  hove' ;  or  a  bout',  a  bove'.  Avoid 
the  common  error  of  giving  a  the  long  sound ;  as  a  bove', 
ma  chine' ;  also  that  of  short  u,  as  ii  bout',  li  bove'.  In 
the  dictionary  this  sound  is  urnnarked. 


a  bove' 

a  gain' 

a  like' 

€a  det' 

ga  zette' 

a  bout' 

a  liirm' 

a  mong' 

€a  nal' 

ma  (;hine' 

a  biise' 

a  las' 

a  part' 

■ea  ress' 

ma  rine' 

a  cross' 

a  live' 

a  rl§e' 

€a  nard' 

ra  vine' 

a  dillt' 

a  lone'' 

a  side' 

€a  noe' 

ca  reen' 

32 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


viL     Silent  e  and  o. 

In  the  following  words  and  some  others,  e  and  o  are 
silent  before  n  or  I,  thus — heaven  =  hevn,  evil  =  evl. 


Lacon 

golden 

listen 

open 

seagon 

biitton 

garden 

leaven 

often 

sudden 

cotton 

gladden 

leaden 

person 

spoken 

crimgon 

glisten 

lengthen 

parson 

sloven 

deacon 

given 

liken 

poison 

shovel 

dam§on 

glutton 

lesson 

rea§on 

shrivel 

devil 

grovel 

lessen 

reckon 

snivel 

driven 

heathen 

mason 

raven 

smitten 

even 

heaven 

niiitton 

raisin 

siinken 

evil 

harden 

maiden 

ridden 

token 

ea§el 

hasten 

moisten 

rotten 

tea§el 

fallen 

happen 

mitten 

ravel 

weagel 

frozen 

hazel 

oven 

seven 

weaken 

frighten 

kitten 

ougel 

silken 

weapon 

VIIL     Short  i  in  unaccented  final  syllables. 


ag'ile 

far'ile 

san'guine 

mas'cu  line 

doq'ile 

fer'tile 

siibVile 

fem'i  nine 

des'tine 

frag'ile 

stcr'ile 

gen'u  ine 

ducVile 

flcx'ile 

tex'tile 

her'o  ine 

et/gine 

hos'tile 

vfrile 

pu'er  lie 

ei-'mine 

mo'bile 

ver'sa  tile 

ju've  nile 

IX.     Short  i  in  unaccented  initial  syllables. 


di  vide' 

di  vest' 

di  gress' 

di  plo'ma 

di  late' 

di  vert' 

mi  uute' 

di  ges'tion 

di  lute' 

di  viilge' 

gi  raffe' 

di  vis'ion 

di  rect' 

di  verge' 

Qi  giir' 

di  la'tion 

di  gest' 

di  vorce' 

fi  nance' 

di  rec'tion 

di  van' 

di  vine' 

ti  rade' 

bi  tii'men 

SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


33 


X.     Sound  of  short  i  and  y  in  unaccented  syllables. 

In  words  like  the  following,  there  is  a  tendency  to 
give  short  e,  the  sound  of  obscure  c  or  a,  and  to  pro- 
long final  -ty  into  -te. 


ac  tiv'i  ty 
a  gU'i  ty 
de  bil'i  ty 
di  vis  i  biH  ty 
el  i  gi  bil'i  ty 
fu  §i  bil'i  ty 


gul  li  bill  ty 
in  tel'li  gi  ble 
in  corl'i  gi  ble 
in  vin'ci  ble 
il  leg'i  ble 
in  fin'i  ty 


re  spon  si  bil'i  ty 

tran  quil'li  ty 

pos  si  bill  ty 

u  til'i  ty 

u  na  niml  ty 

in  com  pat  i  bill  ty 


XI.     Sound  of  u  in  unaccented  final  syllables. 

In  the  pronunciation  of  words  of  two  syllables  ending 
in  -ture,  -dure,  or  -sure,  there  is  a  slight  difference  in 
good  usage.  By  some,  the  word  creature,  for  example, 
is  pronounced  as  if  spelled  thus — creat'yer,  verging  tow- 
ards crea'cher  ;  by  others  it  is  pronounced  thus — 
creat'yobr. 


crea'ture 
cullure 

frac'ture 
fulure 

nalure 
nurlure 

raplure 
scriplure 

caplure 
fea'ture 

geslure 
leclure 

paslure 
pic'ture 

striic'ture 
venlure 

fixlure 

lei'gnre 

poslure 

ver'dure 

vullure 

siilure 

veslure 

riip'ture 

xiL     Sound  of  u  in  unaccented  final  syllables. 

In  words  of  more  than  two  syllables,  the  sound  of 
-ure  is  made  somewhat  longer  than  in  words  of  two 
syllables ;   as  furniture  is  pronounced  furliit  yoor. 

Sp'er  ture  lit'er  a  ture  carl  €a  ture 

6\er  ture  ten/per  a  ture  jii'di  ca  ture 

lig'a  ture  mini  a  ture  sig'na  ture 

siglia  ture  ap'er  ture  cftrVa  ture 


34  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

XIIL     The  syllable  -tude. 

ap'ti  tude  lon'gi  tude  rec'ti  tude 

al'ti  tude  las^si  tude  sul'i  tude 

at'ti  tude  miirti  tude  ser'vi  tude 

XIV.  Long  0  unaccented. 

mo  roc'co  to  bac'co  ag'o  ny 

po  ta'to  pro  poi/tion  op'po  §ite 

0  pin'ioa  pi  a'no  eVo  quence 

XV,  Miscellaneous  Hints, 

1.  The  article  a  is  sounded  in  connection  with  the 
word  that  follows  it;  as,  "a  book"  is  sounded  as  one 
word  of  two  syllables,  thus — a-book'.  Here  the  article 
has  the  sound  of  long  a,  obscured  and  cut  off  suddenly. 
It  is  not  good  usage  to  give  it  the  sound  of  short  u, 
thus — ii-book',  or  of  ur-book^ 

2.  Before  a  word  beginning  with  a  consonant  tlie 
article  the,  except  when  emphatic,  is  sounded  as  a  syllable 
of  the  word  which  it  precedes,  as  the-book',  pronounced 
as  a  word  of  two  syllables,  accented  on  the  last.  In 
such  cases  the  obscured  e  sound  in  the  is  really  repre- 
sented by  short  i,  rather  than  by  short  n;  as,  thi-book', 
thi-horse',  thi-schooF.  It  is  sometimes  indicated  thus — ■ 
th'-book',  th'-horse^ 

3.  Before  words  beginning  with  a  vowel,  as  the-air', 
the-ice',  e  in  the  has  the  long  sound,  less  obscured  and 
shortened  than  when  the  precedes  a  word  beginning  witli 
a  consonant.  The  error  in  sounding  the  articles  a  and 
the  frequently  arises  from  attempts  to  give  their  phonic 
spelling  inde])endent  of  their  connection  with  the  words 
that  follow  tliem.  In  order  to  sound  the  articles  cor- 
rectly, notice  how  they  are  pronounced,  by  persons  of 
good  taste,  in  ordinary  conversation. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  35 

SECTION   III. 

CONSONANT   SOUNDS. 

I.    Articulation. 

1.  Distinct  articulation  is  essential  to  good  reading 
and  speaking.  "The  first  step  towards  becoming  a  good 
elocutionist,"  says  Comstock,  "is  a  correct  articulation. 
A  public  speaker,  possessed  of  only  a  moderate  voice, 
if  he  articulates  correctly,  will  be  better  understood,  and 
heard  with  greater  pleasure,  than  one  who  vociferates 
without  judgment.  The  voice  of  the  latter  may  indeed 
extend  to  a  considerable  distance,  but  the  sound  is  dis- 
sipated in  confusion.  Of  the  former  voice  not  the 
smallest  vibration  is  wasted ;  every  stroke  is  perceived 
at  the  utmost  distance  to  which  it  reaches ;  and  hence 
it  has  often  the  appearance  of  penetrating  even  farther 
than  one  which  is  loud,  but  badly  articulated." 

2.  "  In  just  articulation,"  says  Austin,  "  the  words  are 
not  hurried  over,  nor  precipitated  syllable  over  syllable ; 
nor,  as  it  were,  melted  together  into  a  mass  of  confusion ; 
they  are  neitlier  abridged,  nor  prolonged ;  nor  swallowed, 
nor  forced,  and,  if  I  may  so  express  myself,  shot  from 
the  mouth ;  they  are  not  trailed  nor  drawled,  nor  let 
slip  out  cai'elessly,  so  as  to  drop  unfinished.  They  are 
delivered  out  from  the  lips,  as  beautiful  coins  newly 
issued  from  the  mint,  deeply  and  accurately  impressed, 
perfectly  finished,  neatly  struck  by  the  proper  organs, 
distinct,  sharp,  in  due  succession,  and  of  due  weight." 

3.  The  best  way  of  training  the  organs  of  speech  to 
good  articulation  is  by  means  of  forcible  phonic  spelling 
and  by  drill-exercises  on  the  elementary  sounds,  partic- 
ularly on  subvocals  and  aspirates. 

4.  "Articulate  utterance,"  says  Prof.  Russell,  "requires 
a  constant  exercise  of  discrimination  of  the  mind,  and 
of  precision  or  accuracij  in  tlie  movements  of  the  organs 


36  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

of  speech.  A  correct  articulation,  however,  is  not  be- 
labored or  artificial  in  its  character.  It  results  from  the 
intuitive  and  habitual  action  of  a  disciplined  attention. 
It  is  easy,  fluent,  and  natural;  but,  like  the  skillful 
execution  of  an  accomplished  musician,  it  gives  forth 
every  sound,  even  in  the  most  rapid  passages,  with  truth 
and  correctness. 

5.  "A  good  enunciation  gives  to  every  vowel  and 
consonant  its  just  proportion  and  character;  none  being 
omitted,  no  one  blending  with  another  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  produce  confusion,  and  none  so  carelessly  executed 
as  to  cause  mistake  in  the  hearer,  by  its  resemblance 
to  another. 

6.  "  A  correct  enunciation  is  the  fundamental  quality 
of  a  distinct  and  impressive  elocution.  It  is  an  attain- 
ment of  great  value,  for  the  ordinary  purposes  of 
communication;  but  it  becomes  doubly  important,  in  the 
act  of  reading  or  speaking  in  public,  whether  we  advert 
to  the  larger  space  which  must  be  traversed  by  tlie 
voice,  or  the  greater  moment  of  the  topics  of  discourse 
which  are  usual  on  such  occasions. 

7.  "The  appropriate  style  of  modern  eloquence  is  that 
of  intellectual,  more  than  of  impassioned,  expression ; 
and  enunciation  being,  of  all  the  functions  of  the  voice, 
that  which  is  most  important  to  the  conveyance  of 
thought  and  meaning,  it  justly  requires,  in  the  course 
of  education,  more  attention  and  practice  than  any  other 
branch  of  elocution." 

II.    Classification  of  Elementary  Sounds. 
The  elementary  sounds  are  classified  as  follows : 

1.  Vocals,  or  tonics. 

2.  Subvocals,  or  subtonics. 

3.  Aspirates,  or  atonies. 

Vocals,  represented  by  vowels,  are  sounds  consisting 
of  pure  tone  only. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  37 

Suhvocals,  represented  by  consonants,  are  sounds  that 
have  tone,  but  are  inferior  to  vocals  in  fuUness.  A 
consonant  can  not  be  nayned  without  the  aid  of  a  vowel, 
as  h  is  named  in  the  alphabet,  he.  Hence  the  term 
consonant,  sounded  with. 

Aspirates,  represented  by  consonants,  are  sounds  with- 
out tone. 

Letters  are  characters  to  represent  articulate  sounds. 

III.    Dl\critical  Marks  of  Consonakts. 

\^As  given  in   JVcbstcrs  Dictionary.]^ 


9  soft — gede,  gent. 
€  hard — -call,  la-e. 
ch  unmarked — ch urch. 
qh  soft — ^haise,  (jhute. 
€h  hard — ehyle,  -ehyme. 
g  hard — ^guni,  log. 
g  soft— gam,  gin. 
§  soft  —  z — ha§,  hi§. 
s  sharp  — (^ — sin,  gas. 


th  sliarp — thing,  bath, 
fh  fiat — fhine,  smooth, 
ng  unmarked — sing,  ring. 
n — ink,  link. 
X  =  ks — box,  fox. 
?f  =  gz — e^ist,  e^alt. 
ph  —  f — phlox,  sylph, 
qu  rr  kw — queen,  queer. 
wh  =  hw — when,  why. 


IV.     Drill  Lessons  on  Consonant  Sounds. 

I.     SUBVOCALS. 

In  concert  drill-exercises  on  the  following  table,  observe 
the  following  directions : 

1.  Pronounce   each   word   distinctly,    and    then    give, 
forcibly,  the  phonic  spelling. 

2.  Eepeat,  forcibly,  each  subvocal  and   aspirate  three 
times,  thus — b,  b,  b;  d,  d,  d,  etc. 

3.  After  concert  drill,  require  each  pupil,  in  turn,  to 
give  the  sounds. 

b. — bib,  babe,  bee,  ebb,  mob,  rob,  sob,  €ob. 
d. — did,  dog,  dead,  odd,  dread,  died,  said,  bed. 

cr^tT     ai~r     (Ti'ucr     u'pt      ijTrl      fftlls     P't~y'('r\9. 


38  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

J— joy-  just,  jog,  gill,  gem,  gin,  ginVrer. 
1, — lull,  loll,  mill,  bell,  sale,  boil,  toil,  soil. 
m. — man,  maim,  miim,  dim,  rum,  some, 
n. — niin,  none,  noun,  name,  run,  gun. 
r  (rough). — rude,  rule,  room,  rood,  roll,  roar, 
r  (smooth). — or,  ore,  more,  oar,  year,  deer. 
V. — valve,  vale,  vine,  live,  of,  veer,  vote. 
\v. — will,  woe,  we,  wine,  wet,  wind,  wood, 
y-— yes,  yet,  you,  yam,  yarn,  yoke,  yacht. 
z. — zone,  ooze,  lo§e,  no§e,  blaze,  craze, 
zh. — azure,  meagure,  pleasure,  treasure. 
fh. — thy,  fhine,  this,  with,  blithe,  bathe. 
ng. — king,  ring,  rang,  riing,  sing,  sang,  siing. 
n. — ^ink,  link,  think,  wmk,  blink. 
5  =  gz. — e^ist,  example,  exhort,  exhaust. 

n.    ASPIRATES. 

f. — fife,  if,  fill,  beef,  biiff,  off,  laugh. 

h. — how,  home,  hill,  had,  here,  hair,  hail. 

k,  €,  -eh. — kill,  kick,  -eake,  €6me,  €hyle,  €hyme. 

p. — pipe,  ripe,  piip,  p8p,  pip,  peep. 

s. — sau(^e,  gease,  (^ite,  gell,  sense,  (jents, 

t. — too,  dot,  tilt,  trot,  triist,  twit,  wit. 

sh,  9h. — shall,  sham,  rash,  dash,  (jhaise,  (jhute. 

oh. — chin,  chop,  rich,  ditch,  church,  birch. 

th. — thin,  thick,  pitli,  teeth,  truth,  youth. 

x  =  ks. — box,  fox,  locks,  vex,  necks,  tax,  lax,  wax. 

V.    Miscellaneous  Hints. 

1.  Do  not  be  over-particular  about  a  heavy  articula- 
tion of  the  d  in  and.  The  d  should  be  sounded,  but 
not  so  painfully  emphasized  as  to  become  an  elocu- 
tionary affectation. 

2.  Th  is  vocal,  as  in  thine,  in  the  following  plurals : 
bath§,  lath§,  "paths,  motlj§,  clotli§,  oatli§,  mouths,  swathg, 
wreathg,  booth§ ;  and  in  blithe,  lithe,  with,  and  beneath. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


39 


SECTION"   IV. 

CLASSIFICATION  OF  ELEMENTARY  SOUNDS. 

I.  Table  of  Elementary  Sounds. 

I.    VOCALS. 


a 

a-»''P 

n-a-me 

i.y 

Ml, 

h-y-mn 

a 

a-lm§, 

a-vt 

0 

o-ld, 

n-o 

a 

a-11, 

l-aw 

o 

6-n, 

6-dd 

a 

a-t, 

a-ii 

0,  00 

m-o-ve, 

m-oo-n 

a 

a-ir, 

€-a-re 

u 

u-se, 

d-ue 

a 

a-sk, 

el-a-ss 

u 

u-p. 

s-u-n 

e 

e-ve, 

m-e 

u 

li-rge. 

b-u-rn 

e 

e-nd, 

P-OlT 

U,  00 

f-u-U, 

w-oo-l 

e 

h-e-r, 

e-rr 

oi,  oy 

oi-1, 

b-oy 

i.  y 

i-ce, 

m-y 

ou,  ow 

ou-t, 

ow-1 

II.    SUBVOCAiS. 


b 

b-i-b, 

b-a-be 

r 

r-oa-r, 

re-a-r 

d 

d-i-d, 

de-ad 

fh 

fh-Ine, 

wi-fh 

g-^-g. 

g-i-g 

V 

v-al-ve 

wa-ve 

J 

j-ain, 

g-em 

w 

w-ill, 

w-ell 

I 

1-u-ll, 

be-ll 

y 

y-e«, 

y-et 

m 

m-ai-m, 

mi-ne 

z 

z-one, 

z-in€ 

n 

n-ii-u, 

ni-ne 

zh,  z 

a-z^ure, 

sei'z-ure 

ng,  n 

rl-nj^, 

ra-n-k 

III.    ASPIRATES. 


f 

f-I-l'e, 

o-ff 

t 

t-en-t,      t-ar-t 

h 

h-at, 

h-ill 

ch 

ch-iir-ch,  cb-ain 

k 

k-m, 

bo6-k 

sh 

sh-ip,        wi-sh 

P 

P-T-pe, 

p-ut 

th 

tln-ck,      pii-th 

s 

s-ell, 

s-on-se 

wh 

wh-en,      wh-ere 

40 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


II.    Vocals  and  Equivalents. 

'     {Arranged   according    to   tiie   nulural  order  of  their  formation  by  the 
orguns  of  speech.'] 


I.    LONG. 

II.    SHORT. 

e 

e-ve. 

m-e 

1 

1-n,        i-t 

a 

a-le. 

a-ge 

e 

e-nd,     m-e-n 

a 

ai-r, 

c-a-re 

a 

a-t,        a-n 

a 

a-lm§, 

b-ci-lf 

a 

a-sk,     p-a-ss 

u 

u-rge, 

c-ii-rl 

VL 

li-p,       b-ii-d 

a 

a-H 

l-aw 

0 

u-n,       d-(j-g 

o 

o-ld, 

n-u 

U 

p-u-L,  p-u-t 

0 

m-o-ve, 

d-o 

COMPOUNDS   AND   DIPHTHONGS— LONG. 


u  =  1  -1-  00. — u-se,  in-u-te. 
I  =  ii  -h  e. — i-ce,  m-i-ne. 


ou  =  ii  +  00. — ou-t,  tb-ou. 
oi  =  a  +  e. — oi-1,  b-oy. 


III.      SUBVOCALS   AND   ASPIKATES. 

{Arranged  according  to  tlie  natural   order  of  their  formation  by  the 
07'gans  of  speech.  ] 

I.    COGNATES. 


SUBVOCALS. 

ASPIRATES. 

b 

b-i-b, 

b-a-be 

P 

p-I-pe, 

p-o-p 

w 

w-m, 

w-oo 

wli 

wb-en, 

M'b-y 

V      . 

v-a-lve, 

w-il-ve 

f 

f-I-fe, 

f-eo-ff 

fb 

fli-ine, 

Wl-fll 

tb 

tb-ick, 

ino-tb 

z 

z-one. 

sl-ze 

s 

s-ay, 

s-ee 

d 

d-i-d, 

d-rea-d 

■  t 

t-iT'ii-t, 

t-ro-t 

j 

j-oy. 

j-ail 

cb 

cb-iir-cb, 

cb-Inie 

zb 

a-z-iire 

sb 

sb-all, 

sb-ow 

y 

y-es, 

y-eii 

b 

b-o\v, 

b-ome 

ft 

g-^-g 

Ic 

■e-a-ke, 

€-o-ke 

SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


41 


II.    SUBTONICS   WITHOUT  COGNATES. 


lu. — m-ai-m,  a-m. 
n. — n-u-D,  n-I-ue. 
l._l.u-ll    oi-L 


r  i^rougli). — r-ule,  r-oom. 
r  {smooth). — u-re,  mo-re. 
ng. — Si-ng,  ri-ng. 


IV.    TxVBLE  OF  Consonant  Sounds. 

[Classijicd  according  to  their  formation  by  the  organs  of  speech.] 

In  order  to  secure  correct  and  forcible  articulation,  it 
may  be  desirable  to  call  tbe  attention  of  pupils  to  tbe 
position  of  tbe  organs  of  speech  in  making  tbe  conso- 
nant sounds.  Teacbers  can  do  tbis  without  any  detailed 
instructions  in  print. 


Lip  Sounds. 

[Labials.] 

b     p 
ra    w 
wh 

b-a-be,      p-i-pe 
m-ai-m,     w-ay 
wb-y,        wb-en 

Lips  and  Teeth. 
[Labio-Dentals.] 

f 

V 

f-i-fe,         f-eo-ff 
v-ine,        e-ve 

Tongue  and  Teeth. 
[Linguo-Deutals.  ] 

d     t 
fh    tb 
j      cb 
s      sli 
z      zb 

d-i-d,         t-eu-t 
fb-is,         th-ink 
j-oy,           cb-ur-ch 
s-un,          sb-un 
z-one,        a-z'ure 

Tongue  and  Palate. 
[Linguo-PalataLs.  j 

g      1^- 
1      r 

y 

g-ood,        boo-k 
l-u-U,        r-oa-r 
y-et,          y-es 

Nasal  Passages. 

n 

n-o-ne,      n-i-ne 
si-ng,         ri-ng 

Glottis. 

b 

h-at,          h-ow 

42  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

V.    Phonic  Dkill. — Subvocals  and  Aspirates- 

b. — babe,  bribe,  rib,  bid,  rube,  bird,  -eurb. 
q,  s. — qeut,  sin^e,  on^e,  ige,  face,  race,  sense. 
ch. — church,  birch,  liiuch,  cheege,  chime. 
d. — did,  dead,  ride,  diQ.e,  death,  thread,  dried, 
f,  gh. — fine,  off,  fife,  fear,  deaf,  foot,  liiugh. 
g.— gag,  gig,  game,  gills,  rag,  good,  gauge. 
h. — home,  how,  who,  hair,  hate,  hill,  hi§. 
J.  g-— joy.  J^^ist,  jet,  age,  page,  gem,  gill. 
k,  -e. — kill,  kite,  look,  -eame,  -eould,  -eake,  erowd. 
■eh. — a-ehe,  -ehord,  ehyme,  ehyle,  €hoir,  -ehurus. 
1. — look,  lull,  ball,  boil,  lad,  well,  tall,  pale. 
m. — make,  room,  main,  moon,  niimb,  maim, 
n. — noun,  neat,  ten,  nine,  niin,  pin,  none, 
ng. — sing,  ring,  thing,  bank,  rank,  thank, 
p. — pipe,  €up,  €ape,  hope,  ripe,  drop,  paid. 
r. — roar,  rear,  fire,  floor,  door,  store,  more, 
s,  q. — sauqe,  sinqe,  saw,  iqe,  intense,  source, 
sh,  cli. — shine,  shall,  (jhaige,  wish,  bush,  (jhute. 
t. — tent,  dot,  tell,  write,  time,  trot,  threat, 
th. — thick,  death,  thin,  length,  width,  throat, 
fh. — this,  fhege,  fhoge,  then,  that,  with,  {heir. 
V. — vine,  eve,  vote,  move,  veer,  nerve,  vest. 
"W. — wind,  wet,  woe,  wait,  wear,  wi§e,  wood, 
wh. — when,  where,  why,  what,  wheat,  wheel. 
x  =  ks. — ox,  box,  lucks,  ax,  tax,  lacks,  vex,  fox. 
3f  =  gz. — ej^act,  ei^ist,  example,  e^liaust,  e^ert. 
y.— yes,  yet,  yell,  year,  young,  youth,  truth. 
z. — zone,  buzz,  breeze,  ooze,  lo§e,  i§,  zine. 
zh. — azure,  pleasure,  measure,  treasure. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  43 

YL     Articulation  Drill. 
First,  pronounce  eacli  word  very  distinctly  and  forcil)ly; 
tlien  give  the  phonic  spelling,  and  re-pronounce  the  word. 

rb. — orb,  herb,  verb,  €iirb,  biirb,  garb. 
rd. — hiird,  lard,  bard,  eard,  board,  hoard, 
rk. — ark,  bark,  j)ark,  hark,  mark,  lark, 
spr. — spring,  sprang,  sprung,  spray,  sprite, 
rt. — art,  heart,  piirt,  cart,  diirt,  start, 
str. — string,  strung,  straight,  strength,  stray. 
sts. — masts,  fasts,  fists,  nests,  vests,  pests, 
sks. — asks,  tasks,  basks,  casks,  masks, 
skt. — asked,  tasked,  basked,  masked,  rasped. 
sps. — gasps,  clasps,  rasps,  hasps,  grasps, 
spt. — gasped,  clasped,  rasped,  hasped,  grasped, 
fh. — this,  that,  fhe§e,  those,  with,  bathe. 
th. — three,  throat,  thrill,  thick,  thin,  bath. 
wh. — when,  where,  why,  wliat,   which,  wheat, 
dn. — laden,  burden,  harden,  sadden,  gladden. 
kn. — hearken,  liken,  weaken,  spoken,  broken, 
pn. — open,  weapon,  happen,  ripen,  deepen. 
vn. — given,  seven,  oven,  heaven,  leaven,  even, 
sn. — glisten,  hasten,  fasten,  lesson,  mason. 

YII.     Articulation  Drill. 

1.  Eound  the  rough  rock  the  ragged  rascal  ran. 

2.  Shoes  and  socks  shock  Susan.     (Repeat.) 

3.  Tlie  scene  was  truly  rural.     (Repeat.) 

4.  She  uttered  a  sharp,  shrill  shriek.     (Repeat.) 

5.  The   difficulties   were   formidable,   inexplicable,  and 
irremediable. 

6.   Amidst  the  mists  and  coldest  frosts. 
With  stoutest  wrists  and  loudest  boasts, 
He  thrusts  his  fists  against  the  posts, 
And  still  insists  he  sees  the  "hosts. 


44  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

7.  Shrewd  Simon  Short  sewed  shoes.  Seventeen  sum- 
mers' speeding  storms,  succeeding  sunshine,  successively 
saw  Simon's  small,  shabby  shop  standing  staunch,  saw 
Simon's  self-same  sign  still  swinging,  silently  specifying: 
"  Simon  Short,  Smith tield's  sole  surviving  shoemaker. 
Shoes  sewed,  soled  superfinely."  Simon's  sj)ry,  sedulous 
spouse,  Sally  Short,  sewed  shirts,  stitched  sheets,  stufted 
sofas.  Simon's  six  stout,  sturdy  sons — Seth,  Samuel, 
Stephen,  Saul,  Shadrach,  Silas — sold  sundries.  Sober 
Seth  sold  sugar,  starch,  spices;  simple  Sam  sold  saddles, 
stirrups,  screws ;  sagacious  Stephen  sold  silks,  satins, 
shawls ;  skeptical  Saul  sold  silver  salvers,  silver  spoons ; 
selfish  Shadrach  sold  shoe-strings,  soaps,  saws,  skates; 
slack  Silas  sold  Sally  Short's  stuffed  sofas. 

8.  Theophilus  Thistle,  the  successful  thistle-sifter,  in 
sifting  a  sieve  full  of  unsifted  thistles,  thrust  three 
thousand  thistles  through  the  thick  of  his  thumb ;  now, 
if  Tlieophilus  Thistle,  the  successful  thistle-sifter,  in 
sifting  a  sieve  full  of  unsifted  thistles,  thrust  three 
thousand  thistles  through  tlie  thick  of  his  thumb,  see 
that  thou,  in  sifting  a  sieve  full  of  unsifted  thistles, 
thrust  not  three  thousand  thistles  througli  the  thick  of 
thy  thumb.     Success  to  the  successful  thistle-sifter. 

9.  Of  all  the  saws  T  ever  saw  saw,  I  never  saw  a 
saw  saw  as  this  saw  saws. 

10.  Peter  Piper  picked  a  peck  of  pickled  peppers ;  a 
peck  of  pickled  peppers  Peter  Piper  picked.  If  Peter 
Piper  picked  a  peck  of  pickled  peppers,  where 's  the 
peck  of  pickled  peppers  Peter  Piper  picked  ? 

11.    When  a  twister  twisting,  would  twist  him  a  twist. 
For  twisting  a  twist  three  times  he  will  twist ; 
But  if  one  of  the  twists  untwist  from  the  twist, 
The  twist  untwisting,  untwists  the  twist. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  45 

SECTIOX  V. 
ORTHOEPY. 

Good  Usage.  The  standard  of  correct  pronunciation 
is  gooil  usage.  Good  usage  implies  tlie  pronunciation  of 
the  educated  and  intellectual  classes  of  society.  The 
standard  of  good  usage  is  found  in  the  dictionaries  of 
a  language.  In  the  United  States,  the  standard  dic- 
tionaries are  Webster's  and  Worcester's. 

The  standard  of  pronunciation  is  never  absolutely  un- 
deviating.  Custom,  from  time  to  time,  changes  the  pro- 
nunciation of  words ;  but  the  number  of  these  changes 
is  not  large.  Whenever  general  TOod  usage  changes  the 
pronunciation  or  the  spelling  of  a  word,  this  change 
soon  finds  its  way  into  a  new  edition  of  the  dictionary. 
The  dictionary,  then,  remains  the  standard  of  good  usage. 

There  are  a  few  hundred  words  in  our  language  that 
have  two  authorized  pronunciations,  either  of  which  is 
allowable. 

Affect A.TIOXS.  All  affectations  in  pronunciation  should 
be  carefully  avoided.  The  affectation  of  el^ther  and 
nel'ther,  for  either  and  neither,  is  a  case  in  point. 
Avoid  in'quiry  for  in  quir'y.  There  is  no  better  test 
of  culture,  scholarship,  and  refinement,  than  a  correct 
pronunciation. 

On  this  point,  Prof.  William  Eussell  says:  "Individual 
opinion,  wlien  it  is  at  variance  with  this  important  and 
useful  principle  of  accommodation,  gives  rise  to  eccen- 
tricities, whicli  neither  the  authority  of  profound  learn- 
ing, nor  that  of  strict  accuracy  and  system,  can  redeem 
from  the  charge  of  pedantry. 

"  It  is  a  matter  of  great  importance  to  recognize  the 
rule  of  authorized  custom,  and  neither  yield  to  the  in- 
fluence of  those  errors  wJiich,  through  inadvertency,  will 
creep   into   occasional   or   local   use ;    nor,   on   the   other 


46  SCHOOL  elocution". 

hand,  be  induced  to  follow  innovations  or  changes  adopted 
without  sufficient  sanction.  A  cultivated  taste  is  always 
perceptible  in  pronunciation,  as  in  every  other  expression 
of  mind ;  and  errors  in  pronouncing  are  unavoidably 
associated  with  a  deficiency  in  the  rudiments  of  a  good 
education." 

Provincialisms.  Provincialisms,  or  the  peculiar  pro- 
nunciation prevailing  in  certain  localities  or  sections  of 
our  country,  must  be  studiously  corrected  and  avoided. 
It  is  to  this  class  of  errors  that  teachers  must  carefully 
direct  their  attention.  The  force  of  habit  is  so  strong 
that  pupils  continue  to  mispronounce  words  long  after 
they  know  the  pronunciation  to  be  incorrect. 

Provincialisms  most  commonly  consist  of  some  varia- 
tion or  perversion  of  vowel  sounds :  as  half  for  half, 
calf  for  calf,  laugh  for  laugh,  etc. ;  of  tew  for  to,  trew 
for  true,  dew  for  do,  yew  for  you ;  of  grass  for  grass, 
ask  for  ask,  last  for  last,  etc. ;  of  dawg  or  dorg  for  dog ; 
of  git  for  get,  gut  for  got,  etc. ;  of  toon  for  tune,  noo 
for  new,  dooty  for  dhty,  etc.  ;  of  op  for  iip,  onder  for 
iinder ;  of  skewl  for  scliool,  rewl  for  rule. 

Another  class  of  tliese  errors  consists  in  misplacing 
the  accent  of  words ;  as,  fde  a  for  i  de'a,  ad'ult  for 
a  dult',  re^cess  for  re  cess',  eon  vex'  for  eonVex, 
ex  tant'  for  ex'tant,  in  ter  est'ing  for  in'ter  est  ing, 
irius  trate  for  il  liis'trate,  ro'bust  for  ro  bust',  ti'rade 
for  ti  rade',  ve  he'ment  for  ve'he  ment. 

Tn  this  connection,  the  following  lines  from  Oliver 
Wendell  Holmes  convey  a  valuable  lesson : 

1.    A  few  brief  stanzas  may  be  well  employed 
To  speak  of  errors  we  can  all  avoid. 
Learning  condemns  beyond  the  reach  of  hope 
The  careless  churl  that  speaks  of  soap  for  soap : 
Her  edict  exiles  from  her  fair  abode 
The  clownish  voice  that  utters  road  for  r5ad, 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  47 

Less  stern  to  him  who  calls  his  coat  a  coat, 
And  steers  his  boat  believing  it  a  boat. 
She  pardoned  one,  our  classic  city's  boast, 
Who  said,  at  Cambridge,  most  instead  of  most ; 
But  knit  her  brows,  and  stamped  her  angry  foot. 
To  hear  a  teacher  call  a  root  a  root. 

Once  more :   speak  clearly,  if  you  speak  at  all ; 

Carve  every  word  before  you  let  it  fall ; 

Do  n't,  like  a  lecturer  or  dramatic  star. 

Try  over  hard  to  roll  the  British  r; 

Do  put  your  accents  in  the  proper  spot ; 

Do  n't— let  me  beg  you— do  n't  say  "How  /  "  for  "  What .? " 

And,  when  you  stick  on  conversation's  burrs, 

Do  n't  strew  the  pathway  with  those  dreadful  urs. 


I.     Words  Often  Mispronounced. 

\_By   misplacing   the   acccnt.'\ 

The  only  variations  from  "Webster's  Dictionary,"  in 
the  following  lists,  include  a  few  words  in  relation  to 
which  it  may  be  said  that  good  usage  is  in  advance  of 
the  dictionary. 

First,  require  pupils  to  pronounce  the  following  words 
in  concert;  tlien  require  each  pupil,  singly,  in  turn,  to 
pronounce  five  or  more  words. 


ab  d(ymen 

ally; 

€a  nine' 

a-e  €lf  mat  ed 

a're  a 

ca  bal' 

fir'mis  ti^e 

au  re'o  la 

€ay  enne' 

ii/bi  ter 

an  tip'o  de§ 

■eon  tour' 

rd/ject 

al  bu'men 

€on'vex 

ad 'verse 

ba  salt' 

cor'net 

ad  dress' 

bur  lesque 

€on'strue 

a  dept' 

bi  tu'men 

■eun'teiits 

a  diilt' 

ben'zlne 

eom'plex 

48 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


€on  fi  dant' 

e^'em  pla  ry 

leg'is  la  tor 

€om'bat  ant 

ex  po'nent 

ly  (^e'um 

€om'pro  mi§e 

ex  pu/gate 

leth  ar'gic 

€om'raun  ist 

ex  ploit' 

lith  og'ra  pher 

€on'tro  vert 

fi  nance' 

mon  soon' 

■eum'par  a  ble 

fron'tier 

mus  tache' 

eou'ver  sant 

for'micl  a  ble 

mag  a  zine' 

■eon'tu  me  ly 

frag'nient  a  ry 

mis  cou'strue 

com'plai  §ance 

gran'ary 

mu  §e'um 

■eou  trib'ute 

gon'do  la 

met'al  lur  gy 

€og  no'men 

glac^'i  er 

me'di  o  ere 

€on  fis'-eate 

guar'di  an 

ob'li  ga  to  ry 

eon  do^'lence 

gri  mace' 

or'tbo  e  py 

chas'ti§e  nient 

gla  di'o  lus 

ob'se  quie§ 

(jiv  il  1  za'tiou 

har'ass 

ob'so  lete 

(jhiv'al  rlc 

ho  ri'zon 

on'er  ous 

€oni  man  dant' 

hy'gi  ene 

or'nate 

€om  pen'sate 

hy  me  ne'al 

5'vert 

con  gen'trate 

1  de'a 

oc  cillt' 

■eoy  o'te 

il  liis'trate 

op  po'nent 

defi  Qit 

il  liis'trat  ed 

o'a  sis 

dev'as  tate 

in  quir'y 

pro  lix' 

doFor  ous 

in'grate 

pre  text' 

dyn'am  ite 

in'ter  stice 

pre  tense' 

de  mon'strate 

in'ter  est  ing 

pur  loin' 

de  co'rous 

in'ter  est  ed 

plae'ard 

dep  ri  va'tion 

im'pi  ous 

pre  (^ed'ence 

de§'ul  to  ry 

in  com'par  a  Lie 

pre^'e  dent  («.) 

di  plo'ma  (^'y 

in  dis'pu  ta  ble 

pre  ced'ent  (adj.) 

dis  course' 

in  ex'pli  ca  ble 

prom  e  niide' 

dis  card' 

ir  rep'ar  a  l)le 

py  rrim'i  dal 

ex'tant 

ir  ref'ra  ga  ble 

qufnlne 

di'verse 

ir  rov'o  ca  ble 

quan'da  r^ 

ex'or  QT§e 

lani'en  ta  ble 

re  (;ess' 

en'vel  ope  (?i.) 

leg'is  la  ture 

re  flex' 

ex'qui  §ite 

leg'is  la  tive 

re  course' 

SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  49 

re  sour(je'  re  trib'u  tive  tl  rade' 

re  cluse'  strat'eg  ic  te  leg'ra  phy 

re  search'  su  i  (^fdal  to  pog'ra  phy 

ro  bust'  sys  tera'ic  ve'he  ment 

ro  raance'  sub  sld'euce  va  ga'ry 

rou  tine'  sys'to  le  va'ri  o  loid 

re-e'og  iiize  so  ii5'roas  va'ri  e  gat  ed 

II.    Drill  on  Accent. 

I  shall   absent'  myself  to-day  and   shall  be  ab'sent  to- 
morrow. 
Accent'  the  word  with  the  proper  ac'cent. 
Affix'  an  affix  properly. 
I  shall  comment'  on  your  com'ment. 
We  confine'  the  animal  and  erect  his  con'fines. 
We  conjure'  him  not  to  con'jure. 
He  consorts'  with  his  con'sort. 
I  contest'  and  so  enter  the  con'test. 
We  contract'  and  make  a  con'tract. 
We  contrast'  and  produce  the  con'trast. 
We  convert'  and  gain  con'verts. 
We  convict'  and  confine  con'victs. 
We  desert'  into  tlie  des'ert  without  our  dessert'. 
We  entrance'  liim  at  the  en'trance. 
We  escort'  with  an  es'cort. 
I  essay'  to  produce  an  es'say. 
We  export'  our  ex'ports. 
We  extract'  an  ex'tract. 

We  frequent'  the  hall  and  make  fre'quent  calls. 
Tlicy  misconduct'  and  are  punished  for  miscon'duct. 
We  object'  to  your  ob'ject. 
Prefix'  the  pre'fix. 

We  prelude'  with  the  proper  prel'ude. 
We  premise'  and  give  the  base  of  the  prem'ise. 
I  present'  the  letter  and  make  a  pres'ent. 
4 


50 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION, 


The  trans'ports  will  transport'  the  troops. 
"We  progress'  and  make  rapid  prog'ress. 
We  protest'  and  file  our  pro'test. 
We  record'  our  names  in  the  rec'ord. 
We  refuse'  to  accept  such  refuse. 
We  reprint'  and  produce  a  re'print. 
We  subject'  him  and  make  him  a  sub'ject. 
We  survey'  and  make  a  sur'vey. 


III.     Monosyllables   Often   Mispkonounced. 

Bjj  giving  a  vowel  sound  incorrectly. 


ant 

chaff 

gas 

more 

rule 

tf|lk 

aunt 

chant 

get 

mourn 

ru§e 

true 

aft 

chair 

haunt 

none 

rinse 

to 

are 

€atch 

haunch 

niide 

root 

toast 

ask 

daunt 

hearth 

ore 

salve 

tour 

bade 

draught 

half 

oar 

staunch 

tiibe 

biilm 

draft 

halves 

parse 

sauce 

tart 

bath 

dance 

hasp 

path 

since 

tiine 

bask 

d6e§ 

home 

piilm 

source 

toad 

brass 

deaf 

jaunt 

pass 

scarce 

two 

basque 

'-on 

jowl 

past 

shaft 

vaunt 

blast 

ere 

joist 

pant 

staff 

vast 

bomb 

e'er 

keg 

prance 

slant 

want 

been 

fast 

laugh 

pork 

shoe 

walk 

bone 

flask 

liinnch 

porch 

sloth 

wan 

borne 

flaunt 

last 

pour 

smoke 

M'aft 

bourn 

gaunt 

lance 

prune 

spoke 

wand 

eask 

giipe 

lore 

psiilm 

stone 

^^■ere 

€ast 

gdsp 

law 

raft 

soon 

wound 

€alf 

grasp 

lieu 

rasp 

spoon 

wo  n't 

■el  ass 

glance 

mass 

roof 

tiiunt 

wont 

chance 

grant 

mast 

route 

task 

yet 

€raft 

grass 

maul 

rude 

trance 

yes 

€lasp 

glass 

mask 

rood 

truth 

zouave: 

SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


51 


after 

ar'id 

aii'swer 

a  las 

a  mass 

a  vast 

ad  vance 

a  slant 

a  gainst 

ap  par'ent 

ap  pa  ra'tus 

ad  yan'tage 

bas'ket 

bar'rel 

bon'net 

bo a/ bast 

bay'ou 

•ea'ret 

€ar'rof 

ea/at 

€ask'et 

■eii/ry 

€uffee 

^oFumn 

char'y 

chast'en 

€ay  enne' 

eom'mand' 

com  mand^ment 

Q^'n'o  sure 

daunt'less 

dra'ma 

du'ty 

doc^ile 


IV.    Words  Often  Mispronounced 

By  giving  a  voiocl  sound  incorrectly. 
di  verge' 
di  vest' 
diVerse 
di  vorce' 
di  rect' 
di  late' 
di  gest' 
di  viilge' 
dis'trict 


di  rect'ion 

di  gest'ion 

di  version 

dom'i  qile 

dyn'a  mite 

en'gine 

ep'o-eh 

ei'ther 

e'dict 

en  gross' 

ex  t61' 

en  chant 

e'go  tism 

fau'^et 

fast'en 

fu'tile 

i'lil'some 

fet'id 

fc'brile 

forg'er 

fi'brine 

fore'head 

fur'row 

for  bade' 


fiil'mi  nate 

fi  nale 

gen'u  ine 

gla'mour 

gan'der 

giiunt'let 

gran'a  ry 

gua'va 

guii'no 

hus'tile 

hov'er 

hiir'ry 

hand'some 

haunt'ed 

hein'ous 

her'o  iue 

I'dyl 

i  tal'ics 

is'o  late 

im  pla'ca  ble 

1  so  tber'raal 

jaun'dice 

joc'und 

jo  €5se^ 

jii'ven  lie 

ju'gu  lar 

kettle 

lla'ma 

laun'dry 

ll'lac 

li'en 

lei'§ure 

leath'er 

lar'ynx 


52 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


laugh'ter 

lii'va 

leaver 

li'chea 

liveOong 

nia'trou 

niar'iy 

may'or 

mon'ad 

niet'ric 

meag'ure 

mas'ter 

inas''tiff 

luat^ter 

mo'bile 

mar'i  time 

mas^cu^line 

niu  ge'um 

mau  so  le'nm 

mer'can  tile 

DiVked 

nei'ther 

ua/row 

noth'ing 

o'ral 

only 

on'er  ous 

o  bes'i  ty 

o'ro  tund 

ob  lique' 

j)a'tron 

pat'ron  age 

pass'a  ble 

pas'sage 

pass'port 

pus'sive 


pa/ent 

pal'lrey 

prai'rie 

pas'tor 

pas'ture 

pas' time 

pla'za 

plat'ter 

plas'ter 

pu'pil 

por'ter 

por'tion 

po/trait 

procj'ess 

prod'ucfc 

prod'uce  (n.) 

plion'ic 

prel'ate 

preface 

prn'dent 

pa'tri  ot 

pa  tri  ot^'ic 

pa'tri  ot  ism 

pre§'en  ta  tion 

pi  a'no 

pi  a'uist 

pii'is  sance 

piitl/vvay 

pa'tri  areh 

pat'ron  Tze 

ped'a  go  gy 

plat'i  num 

pleag'ure 

pleth'o  ric 

pur  tray' 

ra'tioQ 


m'by 

ru'mor 

rep'tile 

ru'in 

la'tion  al 

rail'le  ry 

ra'ti  0 

ret'ro  spect 

ra'dix 

rath'er 

rii'ral 

rap'me 

saun'ter 

sau'cer 

St  al' wart 

siip'ple 

sii'et 

suav'i  ty 

squT/rel 

slan'der 

syn'od 

syr'up 

se'nile 

stir'rup 

squal'or 

tru'ant 

tel'i'et 

tl'ny 

tu'tor 

tri'o 

to  ma'to 

tii'ber  5se 

tap'est  ry 

trib'urie 

tas'sel 

was'sail 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


63 


V.    Pronuncla-tion  and  Spelling. 

Some  of  the  following  words  from  the  French  are 
fully  Anglicized ;  others,  partly  so ;  while  some  retain 
the  French  pronunciation. 


■eou'pon 

gri  mace'' 

cogn'ac  (eon'yac) 

fra'cas 

gui  pure' 

de'pot  (de'po) 

preg'tige 

mo  riile' 

mem'oir  (mom'wor) 

purlieu 

ou  tre' 

cor'tege  (eor'tazh) 

trufile 

pe  lisse' 

bou  q^uet'  (boo  ka') 

bla  §e' 

phy  sique' 

me  lee'  (ma  la') 

de§  gert' 

rou  tine' 

me  lauge'  (ma  longz') 

de  tou/ 

rou  lette' 

quad  rille'  (ea  dril') 

e  meute 

souve  nir' 

re  gime'  (ra  zheem') 

fa  q-ade 

Tou  e' 

vign  ette'  (vin  yet') 

f  1  nesse' 

ta  bleau' 

bad'i  nage  (bad'i  niizh) 

fu'gi  lier 

trous  seau' 

am  a  teur'  (am  a  toor') 

VI.    Proper  Names  Often  Mispronounced. 

Agassiz  (ag'a  se 

) 

Froude  (frood) 

Arab  (a/ab) 

Goethe  (giii''  te) 

Aryan  (ii'ry  an) 

Gratiano  (grii  she  a'no) 

Asia  (a'she  a) 

Guyot  (ge'o) 

Avon  (aS'On) 

Guise  (gwez) 

Beatrice  (be'a  ti 

-ice) 

Heine  (hi'ne) 

Berlin  (ber'lin) 

Hemans  (hem'ans) 

Bin  gen  (bing'en 

) 

Iowa  (I'o  wa) 

Calliope  (cal  li'o  pe) 
Caucasian  (€aw  €a'shun) 
Cliaron  (eha'ron) 
Cheops  (ehe'ops) 
Concord  (eong'^urd) 
Daniel  (dan'yel) 
El  Dorado  (el  do  rii'do) 
European  (eu  ro  pe'an) 
Faneuil  Hall  (fan'el) 


Ixion  (ix  I'on) 
Khedive  (ka  deve') 
Lewes  (lew'is) 
Milan  (miran) 
Oberon  (ob'e  ron) 
Orion  (o  ri'on) 
Orpheus  (or'fus) 
Portia  (por'shi  a) 
Persia  (per'shi  a) 


54 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


VII.    "Words  of  Difficult  Exuxciation. 


Divide  into  syllables,  and  mark  the 


abominably 

assassination 

anthropophagi 

differentiation 

dicotyledonous 

hypochondriacal 

inexplicable 

intolerable 

impracticable 

indisputable 

incorriu'ible 


inviolably 

insuperable 

indissolubly 

infinitesimal 

indefatigable 

irremediable 

lugubrious 

meteorological 

monocotyledonous 

numismatics 

particularly 


accented  syllables. 

peculiarly 

peculiarity 

perpendicularly 

ratiocination 

tergiversation 

unintelligible 

imconformability 

uninhabitable 

unliospitable 

valetudinarian 

viviparous 


YIII.      MiSCELLAXEOUS   WoRDS. 


ex  cur'sion  (ex  -eur'shun) 
hom'age  (h  sounded) 
hum'ble  (Ji  sounded) 
hon''or  {h  silent) 
hon^est  {h  silent) 
hii'mor  (Ji  silent) 
al''mond  {I  silent) 
often  (ofn) 
soften  (sofn) 
this'tle  (this'sle) 
whis'tle  (wliis'sle) 
(jeftain  (ger'ten) 
chas'ten  (chas'n) 
lifhe  {th  vocal) 
blithe  {th  vocal) 


bafh§  (th  vocal) 
oaths  (th  vocal) 
par  quet'  (par  ka') 
pref ty  (prit'ty) 
quay  (ke) 
span^iel  (span'yel) 
suVtile  (siib'tile) 
sub'tle  (siit'tle) 
tor''toise  (to/tis) 
truths  (th  aspirate) 
vase  (vaqe) 
youths  (th  aspirate) 
kept  (t  sounded) 
slept  (t  sounded) 
crept  (t  sounded) 


PART  II. 


PART   II. 

PRINCIPLES  IN  ELOCUTION. 


CHAPTER   I. 

EMPHASIS,    PAUSES,    AND    INFLECTIONS. 


SECTIOX   I. 
EMPHASIS. 
I.    Introductory, 


1.  Emphasis,  as  the  term  is  used  in  its  restricted  sig- 
nification, is  the  special  force  or  energy  of  voice  ap])lied 
to  words  in  order  to  give  prominence  to  leading  ideas. 

2.  In  its  widest  signification,  however,  emphasis  is 
used  to  include  any  means  of  distinguishing  words, 
phrases,  or  clauses,  whether  by  means  of  force,  or  inflec- 
tion, or  stres.s,  or  quantity,  or  pauses. 

3.  A  word  may  be  made  emphatic  by  an  intense 
whisper  ;  by  a  strong  rising,  falling,  or  circumflex  slide  ; 
by  prolonging  vowel  or  liquid  sounds ;  or  by  rhetorical 
pauses. 

4.  As  commonly  used,  however,  emphasis  relates  to 
the  degree  or  intensity  o^  force.  But  the  stronger  the 
emphatic  force,  the  longer  are  the  slides,  and   the   more 

(57) 


58  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

prolonged  the  vouicl  and  the  liquid  sounds.  It  may  here 
be  remarked  that  the  liquid  sounds  capable  of  being 
prolonged  in  emphasis  are  /,  m,  n,  and  r.  The  short 
vowel  sounds  and  the  consonant  sounds,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  /,  m,  n,  r,  cannot  be  prolonged  in  emphasis. 

5.  "  Every  sentence,"  says  Prof.  William  Russell,  "  con- 
tains one  or  more  words  which  are  prominent,  and 
peculiaidy  important,  in  the  expression  of  meaning. 
These  words  are  marked  with  a  distinctive  inflection ; 
those,  in  particular,  which  illustrate  the  reading  of  strong 
emotion,  or  of  antithesis. 

6.  "  The  words  which  are  pronounced  with  peculiar 
inflection,  are  uttered  with  more  force  than  the  other 
words  in  the  same  sentences.  This  special  force  is  what 
is  called  cmjyJinsis.  Its  use  is  to  impress  more  strik- 
ingly on  the  mind  of  the  hearer  the  thought,  or  portion 
of  thought,  embodied  in  the  particular  word  or  phrase 
on  which  it  is  laid. 

7.  "  It  gives  additional  energy  to  important  points 
in  expression,  by  causing  sounds  which  are  peculiarly 
significant,  to  strike  the  ear  with  an  appropriate  and 
distinguisliing  force.  It  po.ssesses,  in  regard  to  the  sense 
of  hearing,  a  similar  advantage  to  tliat  of  'relief,'  or 
prominence  to  the  eye,  in  a  well-executed  picture,  in 
which  the  figures  seem  to  stand  out  from  the  canvas. 

8.  "  Emphasis,  then,  being  tlie  manner  of  pronouncing 
the  most  significant  words,  its  oflice  is  of  the  utmost 
importance  to  an  intelligible  and  impressive  utterance. 
It  is  the  manner  of  uttering  empliatic  words  wliich 
decides  the  meaning  of  every  sentence  tliat  is  read  or 
spoken. 

9.  "  A  true  ompliasis  conveys  a  sentiment  clearly  and 
forcibly  to  tlie  miud,  and  keeps  tlie  attention  of  an 
audience  in  active  sympatliy  with  the  thoughts  of  the 
s])eaker ;  it  gives  full  value  and  effect  to  all  that  he 
utters,  and  secures  a  lasting  iujpression  on  the  memory." 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  59 

II.  Faults  in  Emphasis. 

In  animated  conversation,  most  persons  emphasize 
correctly  because  they  know  clearly  what  they  wish  to 
express ;  but,  in  reading  the  long  and  involved  sentences 
of  literary  composition,  the  faults  of  untrained  readers 
are  numerous. 

1.  Sometimes  the  emphasis  is  misplaced  because  the 
reader  does  not  clearly  comprehend  the  sense  of  what 
is  read. 

2.  Sometimes  the  emphasis  is  applied  at  random,  with- 
out reference  to  prominent  ideas. 

3.  Sometimes  the  untrained  reader  reads  in  a  dull, 
monotonous  tone,  without  any  empliasis  wdiatever. 

4.  Xot  unfrequently  the  pupil  overdoes  the  emphasis, 
and  reads  in  a  jerky,  dogmatic  manner. 

5.  There  is  often  a  tendency  to  a  regular  recurrence 
of  emphasis,  combined  with  the  falling  inflection,  on 
random  words,  particularly  at  the  end  of  every  line  of 
poetry,  or  of  every  alternate  line,  or  at  the  end  of  every 
pi  1  rase  or  clause. 

III.     GiENERAL  Principles  of  Emphasis. 

1.  "Words  or  groups  of  words  that  express  leading 
ideas  are  cviphatie ;  those  that  express  wliat  is  compar- 
atively unimportant,  or  that  merely  repeat  what  has 
been  previously  stated,  are  unemphatic. 

2.  Words  expressing  contrast  of  ideas  are  eviphatic. 

3.  The  subject  and  predicate  of  a  sentence  are,  in 
general,  emphatic. 

4.  Articles,  pronouns,  and  connectives  are,  in  general, 
unemphatic,  though  any  part  of  speech  may  sometimes 
become  emphatic. 

5.  The  emphatic  words  of  a  sentence  are  generally 
the  words  most  strongly  marked  by  the  rising,  falling, 
or  circumflex  inflection. 


60  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

IV.    Distinction  of  Eiviphasis. 

■  Emphasis  may  be   divided   into   two   kinds,  antithetic 
or  relative  emphasis,  and  absolute  emphasis. 

Antithetic  emphasis  is  applied  to  words  that  indicate 
contrast  of  ideas :  Absolute  emphasis  is  used  to  sliow 
the  importance  of  a  single  word  or  to  express  feeling, 
emotion,  or  passion. 

Tlie  degree  of  emphasis  to  be  applied  to  words  may 
be  considered  as  slight,  moderate,  or  strong. 

V.    ExA]\iPLEs  of  Antithetic  Emphasis. 

1.  He  is  not  a  friend  but  an  enemy. 

2.  HI  raised  a  mdrtcd  to  the  skies. 
She  drew  an  angel  dawn. 

3.  To  be  or  not  to  be — that  is  the  question. 

4.  I  come  to  burg  Cicsar,  not  to  ^jraisc  him. 

5.  As  for  me,  give  me  liberty  or  give  me  death. 

6.  You  cannot  d6  wrong  without  suffering  wrong. 

7.  He  that  cannot  bear  a  jest  should  not  make  one. 

8.  I  said  my  father,  not  my  mother. 

9.  Talent  is  ^9o76'cr ;   tact  is  slMl. 

10.  After  the  snoio,  the  emerald  Ihaves, 
After  the  harvest,  golden  sheaves. 

11.  He  spoke  for  education,  not  agelinst  it. 

12.  The  clerk,  in  letting  Scrooge's  nephew  6ut,  had 
let  two  other  people  \n. 

i;').  Put  not  your  trust  in  money,  but  put  your  money 
in  tr'^jst. 

14.  The  ndhlest  mind  the  best  contentment  has. 

15.  Be  thou  familiar,  but  by  no  means  viilgar. 

16.  Give  every  man  thine  ear,  but  few  thy  vdice. 

17.  Take  each  man's  censure,  but  reserve  thy  judgment. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  61 

18.      COMPENSATION. 

Polarity,  or  ddion  and  reaction,  we  meet  in  every 
part  of  nhtiLvc — in  darkness  and  light ;  in  Mat  and  cold; 
in  the  ebb  and  flbio  of  waters ;  in  male  and  female ;  in 
the  inspiration  and  expiration  of  p^lci^^ts  and  animals ; 
in  the  equation  of  qudntiti/  and  quality  in  the  fluids  of 
the  animal  &(V?// ;  in  the  systole  and  dictstole  of  the  /tea?'^ ; 
in  the  unduhitions  oi  fli'dds  and  of  sbimd  ;  in  the  a'7i- 
trifuyal  and  centripetal  gravity ;  in  electricity,  galvanism,, 
and  chemical  affinity.  Superinduce  magnetism  at  o?ic  end 
of  a  needle,  the  opposite  magnetism  takes  place  at  the 
btlier  end.  If  the  south  attracts,  the  north  repels.  To 
empty  here,  you  must  condense  there.  An  inevitable 
dualism  bisects  ndturc,  so  that  each  thing  is  a  half  and 
suggests  another  thing  to  make  it  whole;  as,  spirit,  mdt- 
ter ;  man,  wbman ;  odd,  even;  subjective,  bbjcctivc ;  in, 
but;   ivpper,  under;  mdtion,  rest;  yea,  nhy. 

All  things  are  dbuble,  6ne  against  Another — tit  for  tcit ; 
an  eye  for  an  eye;  a  tooth  for  a  tboth ;  blood  for  blbod ; 
measure  for  measure ;  love  for  Z^-yc.  6^tyc  and  it  shall 
be  given  you.  He  that  wdtereth  shall  be  watered  him- 
self What  will  you  have  ?  quoth  G(')d ;  pdy  for  it  and 
take  it.  Nothing  venture,  notliing  have.  Thou  shalt  be 
paid  exactly  for  what  thou  hast  dbnc,  no  more,  no  Zes.s. 
Who  doth  not  w6rk  shall  not  eat.  emerson. 

VI.     Examples  of  Absolute  Emphasis. 

Absolute  emphasis  is  applied  to  words  according  to 
their  importance  in  the  sentence,  or  according  to  the 
degree  of  emotion  or  passion  to  be  expressed.  When  words 
are  repeated  for  the  purpose  of  intensifying  emotion, 
each   successive   repetition  is  more   forcibly  emphasized. 

1.  It  was  a  turkey !  He  never  could  have  stood  u])()n 
his  legs,  that  bird.  He  would  have  snapped  'em  short 
off  in  a  minute,  like  sticks  of  s^aling-wnx. 


62  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

2.  What  is  it  that  gentlemen  wish  ?  What  would  they 
liavc  ? 

3.  "  Revenge  !  revenge  ! "   the  Saxons  cried. 

4.  Then  rose  the  terrible  cry  of  fire  !  fire  !  fire  ! 

5.  We  must  fight ;   I  repeat  it,  sir,  we  must  fight ! 

6.  "  To  arms !   to  arms  !   to  arms  !  "    they  cry. 

7.   Happy,  lidpiyy,  hdfiiy  pair! 
None  but  the  hrdve, 
None  hut  the  hrdve, 
None  hut  the  hrdve  deserves  the  fair! 

8.      CHRISTMAS   CAROL. 

"Why,  bless  my  soul!"  cried  Fred,  "who's  thatV 
"It's/.     Your  uncle  Scrooge.     I  have  come  to  dinner. 
Will  you  let  me  in,  Fred  ?" 

Let  him  in  I  It  is  a  mercy  he  did  n't  shake  his  arm 
off.  He  was  at  home  in  five  minutes.  Nothing  could 
be  heartier.  His  niece  looked  just  the  same.  So  did 
Topper,  when  he  came.  So  did  the  plump  sister,  when 
sM  came.  So  did  every  one  when  they  came.  Wonder- 
ful party,  ivonderfal  games,  wonderful  unanimity,  won- 
derful  happiness  !  Dickens, 

9.    grandmother's  story  of  buxker-hill  battle. 
Then  we  cried,  "The  troops  are  routed!  they  are  heat — 

it  can't  be  doubted ! 
God  he  thanked,  the  fight  is  over ! " — Ah  !   the  grim  old 

soldier's  smile ! 
Tell   us,  TELL    us  why   you   huh   so  ?    (we    could    hardly 

speak  we  shook  so.) 
"Are  they  heatcn?   are  they  bdaten?   are  they  beaten?" 

—"Wait  awhile." 
******* 

And  we  shout,  "At  last  they're  done  for;  it's  the  barges 

they  have  ?'U7i  for: 
They   are    beaten !    ht^afen !    beaten'  !    and   the   battle  's 

over  now."  holmes. 


SCHOOL  ELOCUTION.  63 

10.   INDEPENDENCE. 

But  whatever  may  be  our  fate,  be  assured — he  assured 
that  this  declaration  will  stand.  It  may  cost  treasure, 
and  it  may  cost  hlbod ;  but  it  will  stand,  and  it  will 
richly  compensate  for  hbtli.  Through  the  thick  gloom 
of  the  2^^^^'^C'iU  I  see  the  brightness  of  the  future,  as  the 
sfu,n  in  heaven.  We  shall  make  this  a  glorious,  an  im- 
mortal day.  "When  we  are  in  our  graves,  our  children 
will  honor  it.  They  will  celebrate  it  with  thanksgiving, 
with  festivity,  with  honfires,  and  illuminations.  On  its 
annual  return,  they  will  shed  tears,  chpious,  giishing  tfears ; 
not  of  subjection  and  slavery,  not  of  agony  and  distress, 
but  of  exultation,  of  gratitude,  and  of  joy. 

My  judgment  apprdves  this  measure,  and  my  whole 
hem't  is  in  it.  All  that  I  have,  and  all  that  I  dm,  and 
all  that  I  hope  in  this  life,  I  am  now  ready  here  to 
stake  upon  it ;  and  I  leave  off  as  I  began,  that,  live  or 
die,  survive  or  phrish,  I  am  for  the  declaration. 

Webster. 

11.       UNCLE   TOBY. 

"In  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks,"  said  my  uncle  Toby, 
smiling,  "  he  might  march."  "  He  will  never  march,  an' 
please  your  honor,  in  this  world,"  said  the  corporal. 
"He  nrtll  m.arch,"  said  my  uncle  Toby,  rising  up  with 
one  shoe  off.  "An'  please  your  honor,"  said  the  corporal, 
"he  will  never  march  but  to  his  grave."  "He  slidll 
march,"  cried  my  uncle  Toby;  "he  shall  march  to  his 
regiMent."  "He  can  not  stand  it,"  said  the  corporal. 
"He  shall  be  suppdrfed,"  said  my  uncle  Toby.  "Ah, 
well-a-day,  do  what  we  can  for  him,"  said  Trim,  main- 
taining his  point,  "  the  poor  soul  will  die."  "  He  shall 
not,"  shouted  my  uncle  Toby,  with  an  oath.  The  Accus- 
ing Spirit  which  flew  up  to  heaven's  chancery,  blushed 
as  he  gave  it  in,  and  the  Recording  Angel,  as  he  wrote 
it  down,  dropped  a  tear  upon  the  word  and  blotted  it 
out  forever.  «...„... 


64  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

SECTIOX  II. 
PAUSES. 

1.  Tlie  pauses  made  in  reading  or  speaking  may  be 
classed  as  graniuiatical,  rhetorical,  and  emphatic  or  emo- 
tional. 

2.  Grammatical  pauses  are  those  indicated  by  punctua- 
tion ;  rhetorical  pauses  are  those  required  by  the  structure 
of  the  sentence,  or  by  emphasis ;  and  emphatic  pauses, 
those  expressive  of  deep  feeling  or  passion. 

3.  These  pauses  may  be  relatively  long,  moderate,  or 
short,  according  to  the  general  style  of  expression  ap- 
propriate to  what  is  read ;  but  witliout  due  attention 
to  them,  it  is  impossible  properly  to  emphasize  prose, 
or  to  express  the  melody  of  verse. 

4  Concerning  pauses.  Prof.  Eussell  says :  "  The  ces- 
sation of  the  voice  at  proper  intervals  has  the  same 
effect,  nearly,  on  clauses  and  sentences  with  that  of 
articulation  on  syllables,  or  of  prouunciation  on  words : 
it  serv'es  to  gather  up  the  sounds  of  the  voice  into  rela- 
tive portions,  and  aids  in  preserving  clearness  and  dis- 
tinction among  them.  But  what  those  elementary  and 
organic  efforts  do  for  syllables  and  words — the  minor 
portions  of  speech — pausing  does  for  clauses,  sentences, 
and  entire  discourses. 

5.  "The  great  use  of  pauses  is  to  divide  thought  into 
its  constituent  portions,  and  to  leave  the  mind  oppor- 
tunity of  contemplating  each  distinctly,  so  as  fully  to 
comprehend  and  appreciate  it,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to 
perceive  its  relation  to  tlie  whole.  Appropriate  pauses 
are  of  vast  importance,  therefore,  to  a  correct  and  im- 
pressive style  of  delivery ;  and  without  them,  indeed, 
sj^eech  cannot  be  intelligible. 

G.  "Pausing  has,  furtlier,  a  distinct  office  to  perform 
in  regard  to  the  effect  of  feeling  as  conveyed  by  utter- 
ance.    Awe  and  solemnity  are  expressed  by  long  cessa- 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION,  65 

tions  of  the  voice ;  and  grief,  when  it  is  deep,  and  at 
the  same  time  suppressed,  requires  frequent  and  long 
pauses. 

7.  "  The  general  effect,  however,  of  correct  and  well- 
timed  pauses,  is  what  most  requires  attention.  Tlie 
manner  of  a  good  reader  or  speaker  is  distinguished,  in 
this  particular,  by  clearness,  impressiveness,  and  dignity 
arising  from  the  full  conception  of  meaning,  and  the 
deliberate  and  distinct  expression  of  it ;  while  nothing 
is  so  indicative  of  want  of  attention  and  of  self-com- 
mand, and  nothing  is  so  unliapjjy  in  its  effect,  as  haste 
and  confusion." 

I.    Grammatical  Pauses. 

Grammatical  pauses,  or  tlie  pauses  indicated  by  punc- 
tuation, have  no  fixed  lengtli.  They  depend,  to  some 
extent,  on  the  character  of  the  piece  to  be  read.  When 
the  general  movement  or  rate  is  slow,  the  pauses  are 
relatively  long ;  when  the  movement  is  fast,  the  pauses 
are  relatively  sliort.  The  general  principles  that  govern 
grammatical  pauses  may  be  stated  as  follows  : 

1.  In  general,  a  slight  pause  at  a  comma  ;  a  longer 
pause  at  a  semicolon  ;  and  a  still  longer  paitse  at  a  period. 

2.  A  full  pause,  longer  than  at  a  period,  is  required 
at  the  end  of  a  paragraph  of  ^;ro.sc,  or  of  a  stanza  of 
poetry. 

This  pause  is  made  to  enable  the  hearer  to  note  the 
subdivisions  of  a  piece,  and  to  afford  the  reader  time 
for  a  slight  rest. 

II.    PiHETORICAL   PAUSES. 

1.  Tihctoricxd  pauses  are  pauses  not  indicated  by  punc- 
tuation, but  which  are  made  in  reading,  generally  for 
the  purpose  of  emphasis  or  expression.  Attention  to 
these  pauses  is  absolutely  essential  to  good  reading. 

2.  The  general  tendency  of  pupils  to  read  too  fast  is 


66  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

owiug,  in  no  small  degree,  to  a  neglect  of  the  pauses 
necessary  to  etl'ective  utterance.  Both  the  hearer  and 
the  reader  must  have  time  to  think.  These  pauses,  too, 
afford  the  reader  time  to  renew  tlie  breath,  and  thus 
keep  the  lungs  well  supplied  with  air. 

3.  A  continuous  streaui  of  rapid  utterance  soon  wea- 
ries the  hearer,  because  the  speaker  neither  takes  time 
to  think,  nor  allows  his  hearers  time  to  do  so.  The 
trained  extemporaneous  speaker  talks  with  deliberation, 
and  the  trained  reader  reads  in  the  same  manner. 

4.  We  read  words  by  groups,  not  by  disconnected 
units.  The  beginner  laboriously  calls  out  each  word  of 
a  sentence  independently,  with  a  pause  after  each  word, 
thus: 

"  The  I  black  |  cat  |  caught  |  a  |  big  |  rat  [  in  |  the  [ 
barn." 

A  good  reader  will  read  this  sentence  in  groups,  as 
indicated  by  the  hyphenized  words,  thus : 

"  The-black-cat  [  caught-a-big-rat  [  in-the-barn," 

5.  Pupils,  whose  attention  is  directed  to  the  manner 
in  which  they  run  words  together  in  speaking  and  i-ead- 
iug,  with  pauses  between  the  groups,  will  notice  that 
adjectives  are  grouped  with  the  norms  which  they  mod- 
ify; adverbs,  witli  verbs  or  adjectives  or  other  adverbs; 
prepositions,  with  their  objects  ;  pronouns,  with  the  words 
they  modify  ;  and  auxiliaries,  with  their  principal  verbs 
— in  other  Avords,  that  we  speak  in  phrases  and  clauses. 

6.  They  will  notice,  further,  that  when  the  subject  of 
a  verb  is  a  noun,  or  when  it  is  modified  by  a  phrase 
or  a  clause,  there  is  a  rhetorical  pause  between  the  sub- 
ject and  tlie  predicate. 

A  COMMON   FAULT. 

7.  "The  common  fault  in  regard  to  pauses,"  says 
Prof.  Piussell,  "  is  tliat  they  are  made  too  short  for 
clear  and   distinct  expression. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  67 

8.  "Feeble  utterance  and  defective  emphasis,  along 
with  rapid  articulation,  usually  combine  to  produce  tliis 
fault  in  young  readers  and  speakers.  For,  whatever 
force  of  utterance  or  energy  of  emphasis,  or  whatever 
rate  of  articulation  we  accustom  ourselves  to  use,  our 
pauses  arc  always  in  proportion  to  it. 

9.  "  Undue  brevity  in  pausing  has  a  like  bad  effect 
with  too  rapid  articulation  :  it  produces  obscurity  and 
confusion  in  speech,  or  imparts  sentiment  in  a  manner 
which  is  deficient  and  unimpressive,  and  prevents  the 
proper  effect  both  of  thought  and  language. 

10.  "  To  be  fully  convinced  how  much  of  the  clear- 
ness, force,  and  dignity  of  style  depends  on  due  pauses, 
we  have  only  to  revert  for  a  moment  to  the  effect  of 
rapid  reading  on  a  passage  of  Milton,  and  observe  what 
an  utter  subversion  of  the  characteristic  sublimity  of  the 
author  seems  to  take  place.  This  instance  is,  no  doubt, 
a  strong  and  peculiar  one.  But  a  similar  result,  though 
less  striking,  may  be  traced  in  the  hurried  reading  of  any 
piece  of  composition  characterized  by  force  of  thought 
or  dignity  of  expression, 

11.  "  When  habitual  rapidity  of  voice,  and  omission 
of  pauses,  are  difficult  to  correct,  the  learner  may  be 
required  to  accom'pany  the  teachers  voice  in  the  practice 
of  sentences.  This  simultaneous  reading,  if  sufficiently 
long  continued,  will  probably  prove  effectual  for  the 
cure  of  habitual  faults.  A  second  stage  of  progress 
may  be  entered  on,  when  the  learner's  improvement  will 
warrant  it ;  and  he  may  be  permitted  to  read  after  the 
teacher. 

12.  "Pupils  who  possess  an  ear  for  music,  may  be 
taught  to  observe  that  tliere  is  in  reading  and  speaking 
a  'time,'  as  distinct  and  perceptible,  and  as  important, 
as  in  singing,  or  in  performing  on  any  instrument ;  and 
that  pauses  are  uniformly  measured  with  reference  to 
this  time." 


68  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION 


DIULL    F.XEHCISES. 


13.  The  careful  study  of  a  few  selections  for  the  pur- 
pose of  marking  pauses,  emphasis,  and  inllection,  is  also 
an  excellent  exercise  in  parsing  and  analysis.  This 
method  is  a  slow  one,  but  it  will  lead  to  thoughtful, 
careful,  and  expressive  reading. 

14.  For  the  purpose  of  aiding  pupils  to  gain  a  clear 
comprehension  of  this  subject,  general  principles  are 
applied  under  a  number  of  definite  rules,  which  are 
illustrated  by  copious  examples.  The  value  of  thorough 
drill  on  these  examples  cannot  be  overestimated. 

15.  If  any  teachers  object  to  formal  rules,  the  follow- 
ing remarks  of  Prof.  Eussell  are  commended  to  their 
attention  : 

16.  "  Persons,  even,  who  admit  the  use  of  rules  on  other 
subjects,  contend,  that,  in  reading  and  speaking,  no  rules 
are  necessary ;  that  a  correct  ear  is  a  sufficient  guide, 
and  the  only  safe  one.  If,  by  a  '  correct  ear,'  be  meant 
a  vague  exercise  of  feeling  or  of  taste,  unfounded  on  a 
principle,  the  guidance  will  prove  to  be  that  of  conjec- 
ture, fancy,  or  whim.  But  if,  by  a  '  correct  ear,'  be 
meant  an  intuitive  exercise  of  judgment  or  of  taste, 
consciously  or  unconsciously  recognizing  a  principle, 
then  is  there  virtually  implied  a  latent  rule  ;  and  the 
instructor's  express  office,  is,  to  aid  his  pupil  in  detect- 
ing, applying,  and  retaining  tliat  rule. 

17.  "  Systematic  rules  are  not  arbitrary  ;  they  are 
founded  on  observation  and  experience.  No  one  who  is 
not  ignorant  of  their  meaning  and  application,  will  ob- 
ject to  them,  merely  because  they  are  sy.stematic,  well 
defined,  and  easily  understood  :  every  reflective  student 
of  any  art,  prefers  systematic  knowledge  to  conjectural 
judgment,  and  seizes  with  avidity  on  a  principle,  be- 
cause lie  knows  that  it  involves  those  rules  which  are 
the  guides  of  practice." 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  69 

III.    Rules  for  Ehetorical  Pauses. 
Rule  I.     A  rhetorical  pause  should  he  made  hetwcen  the 
siihjcct  and  the  predicate  of  a  sentence  when  the  subject  is 
emphatic,  or  when  it  consists  of  a  i^hrase  or  a  clause,  or 
of  a  nou7i  modified  hy  a  j^hrase  or  a  clause. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.   Art  1  is  long,  and  time  \  is  fleeting, 
And  the  grave  \  is  not  its  goal. 

2.  To  err  \  is  liuman,  to  forgive,  divine. 

3.  To  reach  the  Indies  |  was  the  object  of  Columbus. 

4.  How  he  found  his  way  out  |  is  not  known. 

5.  Whom  the  gods  love  |  die  young  (  was  said  of  you. 

6.  Who  steals  my  purse  |  steals  trash. 

7.  No  wind  that  blew  |  was  bitterer  than  he. 

8.  Not  to  know  me  \  argues  yourself  \  unknown. 

9.  It  was  for  hiui  \  that  the  siin  had  been   darkened, 

that  the  rocks  \  had  been  rent,  that  the  dead  \  liad  risen, 

tliat  all  nature  \  had  shuddered  at  the  sufferings  of  her 

expiring  God.     Death  \  had  lost  its  terrors  \  and  pleasure 

its  charms. 

Turn  to  any  unmarked  selection  in  Part  III.  and  require  inipils  to 
jjoint  out  further  illustrations  of  this  rule. 

Mule  II.     Make  a  rhetorical  pause  hefore  a  clause  used 
as  a  predicate  nominative,  or  as  tlie  object  of  a  verb. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  The  truth  is  |  he  knows  nothing  about  the  subject. 

2.  It  was  in  midwinter  |  that  the  Pilgrims  landed  at 
Plymouth. 

3.  I  do  not  know  ]  where  he  went. 

4.  He  did  not  say  |  when  he  should  go. 

5.   I  wish  I  that  friends  were  always  true. 
And  motives  always  pure ; 
I  wish  I  the  good  were  not  so  few, 
I  wish  I  the  bad  were  fewer. 


70  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Rule  III.  Make  a  rhetorical  paiise  after  introductory 
or  transijosccl  adverbial  words,  jjhrases,  or  clauses. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  Slowly  and  sadly  [  we  laid  him  down. 

2.  Forth  in  the  pleasing  spring  |  thy  beauty  walks. 

3.  In  their  ragged  regimentals  [  stood  the  old  conti- 
nentals. 

4.  If  he  did  that  |  he  ought  to  be  punished. 

5.  During  that  terrible  storm  |  the  ship  foundered. 

6.  Who  she  was  |  nobody  knows. 

7.  In  all  its  history  |  the  Constitution  has  been  benefi- 
cent. 

8.  And  up  the  steep  |  barbarian  monarchs  ride. 

9.    Down  I  came  the  blow !  but  in  the  heath 
The  erring  blade  found  bloodless  sheath. 

Hide  IV.  Unless  the  'phrases  or  clauses  arc  short  or 
very  closely  connected,  make  a  rhetorical  pause  before 
adjective  or  adverbial  phrases  or  clauses. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  Tliere  is  a  reaper  |  whose  name  is  Death. 

2.  He  is  the  same  man  |  that  you  spoke  of. 

3.  I  will  go  I  when  you  are  ready. 

4.  Let  me  have  men  about  me  |  tliat  are  fat. 

5.  The  swallows  |  that  build  their  nests  in  the  old 
barn  [  migrate  |  wlien  winter  comes. 

6.  Our  fathers  raised  their  flag  against  a  power  |  to 
which,  for  purposes  of  foreign  conquest  and  subjuga- 
tion, Piome,  in  the  height  of  her  glory,  is  not  to  be 
compared — a  power  |  wliich  has  dotted  the  surface  of 
the  whole  globe  |  with  her  possessions  |  and  military 
posts;  whose  morning  drum-beat,  following  the  sun  in 
Ins  course,  and  keeping  i)ace  with  the  hours,  daily  circles 
the  earth  |  with  one  continuous  and  uul)roken  strain  | 
of  the  martial  airs  of  England.  wkdster. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  71 

Rule  V.  Make  a  2>c^use  hcfore  and  after  advcrhs  or 
adverbial  phrases  transposed  so  as  to  hreah  the  regular 
order  of  arrangement. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  The  plowman  |  homeward  |  plods  his  weary  way. 

2.  And  some  |  to  happy  homes  |  repair. 

3.  As  we  1  to  higher  levels  jrise. 

4.   Who  I  of  this  crowd  |  to-night  |  shall  tread 
The  dance  |  till  daylight  |  gleam  again  ? 

5.  If  Memory  |  o'er  their  tomb  |  no  trophies  raise. 

6.  Await  I  alike  |  the  inevitable  hour. 

7.  Their  furrow  \  oft  \  the  stubborn  glebe  has  broke. 

Rule  VI.  In  sentences  introdueed  hy  idiomatic  it  or 
there,  make  a  rhetorical  pause  hcfore  the  suhject-phrase 
or  clause  that  is  placed  after  the  predicate. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  There  came  to  the  beach  ]  a  poor  exile  of  Erin. 

2.  It  is  not  known  |  how  the  prisongr  made  his  escape. 

3.  It  is  not  true  ]  that  the  poet  paints  a  life  that  does 
not  exist. 

4.  There  lies  ]  on  the  table  before  me  |  all  that  he 
had  written  of  his  latest  and  last  story. 

Ride  VII.  Make  a  rhetorical  pause  after  predicate 
adjectives  used  to  introduce  a  sentence,  and  after  nouns 
or  pronouns  in  the  objective  case  when  they  are  trans- 
posed so  as  to  come  before  the  verbs  ivhich  govern  them. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  Sweet  1  are  the  uses  of  adversity. 

2.  Few  and  short  1  were  the  prayers  we  said. 

3.  How  sweet  and  solemn  |  is  tliis  midnight  scene. 

4.  Thee  |  I  revisit  now  |  with  bolder  wing. 

5.  And  all  the  air  ]  a  solemn  stillness  |  holds. 


72  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Rule  VIII.  When  an  ellipsis  of  the  verh  occurs  in  a 
sentence,  mulce  a  rhetorical  j^ause. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  Homer  was  the  greater  genius ;  Virgil  |  [was]  the 
better  artist.  In  the  one  |  we  most  admire  the  man ;  in 
the  other — [we  most  admire]  the  work. 

2.  Death  had  lost  its  terrors,  and  pleasure  [  [had 
lost]  its  charms. 

3.  Their  palaces  were  houses  |  not  made  with  hands ; 
their  diadems  |  [were]  crowns  of  glory  which  should 
never  fade  away. 

4.  Lands  |  he  could  measure,  terms  and  tides  j  [he 
could]  presage. 

5.  Thy  waters  wasted  them  while  they  were  free,  and 
many  a  tyrant     [has  wasted  them]  since. 

acquire  the  class  to  find  five  additional  examples. 


Rule  IX.  Unless  the  grammatical  connection  is  very 
close,  a  sliort  pause  should  he  made  at  the  end  of  every 
line  of  poetry,  to  mark  the  poetic  rhythm. 

EXAMPLES. 

L       PAKADISE    LOST. 

Anon  I  out  of  the  earth  |  a  fabric  huge  | 
Tiose  like  an  exhalation,  with  the  sound  | 
Of  dulcet  symphonies,  and  voices  sweet, 
Built  like  a  temple,  where  pilasters  |  n)und 
Were  set,  and  Doric  yjillars,  overlaid  | 
With  golden  architrave.  milton. 

2.     POWER  OF  Jirsic. 
'T  was  at  tlic  royal  feast,  for  Persia  won  | 
I5y  Philip's  warlike  son — 
Aloft  in  awful  state  | 
The  godlike  hero  sate  | 

On  his  imperial  throne.  drvden. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  73 

3.      TUE   SHIPWKECK. 

'T  was  twilight,  for  the  sunless  day  went  down  | 

Over  the  waste  of  waters,  like  a  veil  | 
Which,  if  withdrawn,  would  but  disclose  the  frown  | 

Of  one  I  whose  hate  j  is  masked  but  to  assail. 
Tlius  to  their  hopeless  eyes  |  the  night  was  shown. 

And  grimly  darkled  o'er  their  faces  pale, 
And  the  dim,  desolate  deep ;    twelve  days  |  had  Fear  | 
Been  their  familiar,  and  now  Death  \  was  here. 

Byron. 

4.       THE   LADDER   OF    ST.    AUGUSTIXE, 

All  these  |  must  first  be  trampled  down  | 
Beneath  our  feet  |  if  we  would  gain  | 

In  the  bright  fields  of  fair  renown  | 

The  right  |  of  eminent  domain.  Longfellow. 


lY.    EmpHxVTIc  Pauses. 

Rule,  I.  Emphatic  pauses  occur  when  the  reader  desires 
to  call  marked  attention  to  some  word  or  group  of  ivords. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  The  penalty  was  |    ]    |  death. 

2.  ]\Iy  answer  would  be     \    \  a  hloio. 

3.    You  call  me  dog ;  and  for  these  coiirtesies 
I  '11  lend  you  |  thus  \  r)iuch  \  moneys. 

4.    Hath  a  dog  \  mojieg  ?     Ts  it  possible  | 

A  cur  I    i  can  lend  |    |    ]  three  \    \  thousand  \    \  ducats  ! 

5.  Eider  and  horse,  friend,  foe,  in  one  \  red  \  hurial  \ 
hlcnt. 

6.  They  did  not  see  one  \  man,  not  \  one  \  woman,  \  \ 
not  I  due  \  child,  not  6ne  \  four-footed  heast  \  \  of  any  de- 
scription I  I  u:hatever.  One  \  dead  \  uniform  \  silence  j  | 
reigned  \  over  the  whole  region  .  burke. 


74  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

7.   The  love  that  loves  a  scarlet  coat 
Should  be  |    |  more  iXniform. 

8.      BUNKER   HILL. 

Just  a  glimpse   (the  air  is  clearer),  they  are  nearer  |    | 

nearer  |    |  nearer, 
When  a  flash — a  curling   smoke-wreath — then  a  crash — 

the  steeple  shakes ; 
The  deadly  truce  is   ended ;  |    |  the   tempest's   shroud   is 

rended;  |    | 
Like  a  morning  mist  it  gathered,  |    ]  like  a  thunder  cloud 

I    I  it  breaks. 

All  througli  those  hours  of  trial,  I  had  watclied  a  calm 

clock-dial. 
As  the  hands  kept  creeping,  \    \  creeping,  \    \    \  they  were 

creeping  |    |  round  to  four.  holmes. 


V.      PtECAPITULATION    OF   PAUSES. 

1.  In  general,  a  7'hctoriral  jmusc  ^koidd  he  made  hehveen 
the  mhject  and  the  piredieate,  ivhen  the  subject  is  emphatic, 
or  when  it  consists  of  a  phrase,  a  clause,  or  a  noitn  mod- 
ified hy  a  phrase  or  a  clause. 

2.  A  rhetoriccd  pause  should  he  made  wliencver  the 
regular  order  of  a  sentence  is  hroken  hj  the  inversion  of 
ivords,  phrases,  or  clauses. 

3.  An  emphatic  p)ause  occurs  hefore  any  word  that  is 
very  strongly  emphatic,  or  to  which  tlie  reader  or  speaker 
desires  to  ccdl  'marked  cdtcntion. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  75 

SECTION   III. 

INFLECTION. 

I.     Introductory  Eemarks. 

1.  In  all  good  speaking  or  reading,  there  must  be 
ever-varying  upward  and  downward  slides  of  the  voice. 
Inflection  is  a  means,  not  only  of  expressing  emotion, 
passion,  and  emphasis,  but,  also,  of  conveying  the  finer 
distinctions  and  contrasts  of  ideas,  and  the  more  delicate 
shades  of  feeling  and  sentiment. 

2.  Inflection  forms  an  important  element  of  emphasis : 
for  emphasis  consists,  not  only  in  force,  but  also  in  tlie 
slides  and  in  quantity. 

3.  Reading,  when  it  lacks  the  melody  of  varied  em- 
phasis and  inflection,  becomes  like  the  monotonous 
droning  of  children  who  laboriously  pronounce  the  suc- 
cessive words  of  their  reading  lesson  in  the  conven- 
tional school  tone. 

4.  In  animated  conversation,  and  in  the  readino-  of 
simple  stories,  the  inflections  take  care  of  themselves 
without  thought  by  the  speaker  or  reader;  but  in  the 
long  and  often  inverted  sentences  of  finished  prose  or 
poetry,  involving  a  higher  and  more  complicated  order 
of  thought,  tlie  proper  application  of  emphasis  and 
inflection  requires  some  knowledge  of  the  principles  of 
elocution. 

5.  While  it  is  true  that  a  clear  conception  of  the 
spirit  and  meaning  by  the  reader  is  essential  to  good 
reading,  it  is  equally  true  that,  having  the  right  con- 
ception, the  reader  may  fail  to  convey  it  to  tlie  hearer, 
from  ignorance  of  the  principles  that  govern  tlie  correct 
expression  of  thought  and  feeling. 

6.  Good  reading,  like  fine  singing,  is  the  result  of 
systematic  training — is  the  product  of  culture  and  art. 
Tiiere    are    good    natural    voices    both    for    sin"in<j    and 


76  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

reading,  but  a  fine  singer,  without  training  in  the  science 
and  art  of  music,  is  as  rare  as  is  a  good  reader  of  gen- 
eral English  literature,  who  is  ignorant  of  the  principles 
of  elocution,  and  untrained  in  the  management  of  the 
voice. 

7.  The  real  object  of  school  elocution  is,  not  to  enable 
pupils  to  read  by  imitation  a  few  selected  pieces  in  the 
style  of  an  actor,  but  to  make  thoughtful  and  intelli- 
gent readers  independent  of  the  assistance  of  teachers. 

8.  One  reason  for  the  full  treatment  of  inflection  in 
this  book  is  the  great  importance  of  the  subject  as  a 
means  of  expressive  and  iniyrcssive  reading. 

9.  Another  reason  is  the  cursory  manner  in  wliich 
the  few  introductory  rules  and  illustrations  are  taken 
up  in  the  grammar  school  Teachers  of  higli  schools 
and  normal  schools  are  aware  of  the  fact  tliat  many  of 
their  pupils  come  into  school  not  only  ignorant  of  the 
principles  of  inflection,  but  also  so  untrained  in  the 
management  of  the  voice  that  they  cannot  give  the 
correct  inflections  even  when  indicated,  and  sometimes 
cannot  even  imitate  them  when  given  liy  the  teacher. 

10.  It  is  not  unreasonable  to  expect  that,  in  high  and 
normal  schools,  tliere  should  be  training  enough  to 
enable  students  themselves  to  a|)ply  the  general  prin- 
ciples of  elocution ;  and  that  there  should  be  practice 
enough  to  secure  some  flexibility  in  the  management  of 
tlie  voice. 

11.  Expression  in  reading  depends  largely  on  tlie  vari- 
ety produced  by  the  proper  and  effective  application  of 
tlie  slides.  There  is  no  excuse  for  the  neglect  that  leads 
to  the  monotonous  and  lifeless  style  of  reading  charac- 
teristic of  many  high  schools  and  colleges. 

"This  school-tone,"  says  Prof.  Russell,  "can  be  tol- 
erated only  in  a  law  paper,  a  state  document,  a  bill  of 
lading,  or  an  invoice,  in  the  reading  of  whiclr  the  mere 
distinct  enunciation  of   th(»    words    is    deemed    sufficient. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  77 

In  other  circumstances,  it  kills,  with  inevitable  certainty, 
everything  like  leeling  or  expression." 

12.  The  careful  study  of  an  extract  from  some  stand- 
ard author,  for  the  purpose  of  marking  it  for  inflection, 
emphasis,  and  pauses,  is  an  intellectual  discipline  of  no 
mean  order.  It  combines,  in  one  lesson,  rhetoric,  gram- 
mar, and  elocution. 

13.  It  matters  little  wliether  aspiring  elocutionists  can 
or  can  not  render  effectively  such  pieces  as  "  The  Eaven," 
"  The  Bells,"  or  "  Catiline's  Defiance  " ;  but  it  is  a  mat- 
ter of  solid  importance  for  them  to  be  able  to  read 
intelligently  and  effectively  such  extracts  as  Macaulay's 
"  Puritans,"  Bryant's  "  Winds,"  Byron's  "  Apostrophe 
to  the  Ocean,"  one  of  Webster's  "  Speeches,"  or  an  ex- 
tract from  Milton  or  Shakespeare.  The  trained  reader 
is  able  not  only  to  read  well,  but  also  to  give  good 
reasons  for  reading  AA'ith  good  taste,  discrimination,  and 
judgment. 

14.  As  an  aid  both  to  teachers  and  pupils  in  apply- 
ing principles  and  rules,  a  considerable  number  of 
extracts  and  examples  are  marked  for  inflection,  em- 
phasis, and  pauses.  When  these  have  been  carefully 
studied  and  read,  pupils  ought  to  be  able  to  apply,  to 
some  extent  at  least,  principles  and  rules  to  unmarked 
extracts,  thus  becoming  independent  of  imitation  and 
of  teachers. 

II.    Distinctions  of  Inflection. 

1.  Inflection  may  be  defined  as  an  upward  or  down- 
ward slide  of  the  voice,  generally  on  the  emphatic  word 
or  words  of  a  sentence.  In  words  of  more  than  one 
syllable,  the  inflection  falls  chiefly  on  the  vowel  of  tlie 
accented  syllable ;  hence  the  mark  of  inflection  is  placed 
over  the  vowel  in  the  accented  syllaV)le. 

2.  The  rising  inflection,  indicated  by  the  acute  accent 


78  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

('),  is  used  in  direct  questions,  and,  in  general,  wlien- 
ever  the  sense  is  incomi)lete. 

3.  The  falling  inflection,  indicated  by  the  grave  accent 
(^),  is  used  in  complete  declarative,  exclamatory,  or  very 
emphatic  statements,  and,  in  general,  wherever  the  sense 
is  complete,  or  does  not  depend  on  something  to  follow. 

4  The  circumfiex,  a  combination  of  the  rising  and 
falling  inflections  on  the  same  sound  or  word,  indicated 
thus  (  ^  or  ^  ),  is  used  in  surprise,  sarcasm,  irony,  wit, 
humor,  and  in  expressing  a  pun,  or  a  double  meaning. 
The  rising  circumflex  is  used  in  place  of  the  direct  ris- 
ing inflection  to  add  force  to  the  emphasis,  and  the 
falling  circumflex  in  place  of  the  direct  falling  inflec- 
tion. 

5.   The  monotone  ( ),  tliat  is,  one  uniform  tone,  is 

merely  the  absence  of  any  nuu'ked  rising  or  falling  slide 
above  or  below  the  general  level  of  tlie  sentence. 

III.    Length  of  Slides. 

1.  Tlie  length  of  the  rising  or  the  falling  inflection, 
in  ascending  or  descending  the  scale,  depends  on  the 
force  of  emphasis  applied  to  words  marked  by  inflection. 

2.  The  degrees  of  inflection  may  be  roughly  distin- 
guished as  corresponding  to  the  second,  third,  fifth,  and 
eighth  notes  in  the  musical  scale,  including  the  semi- 
tones, or  chromatic  notes,  of  the  minor  second,  third, 
fifth,  and  eighth  notes. 

3.  The  "  second "  and  "  third "  are  classed  as  the  2in- 
cmotional  slides,  as  contrasted  witli  the  "  fifth "  and 
"  eighth,"  which  are  the  emotional  inflections. 

IV.     The  Slide  of  the  Second. 

1.  The  inflection  of  the  second  "is  a  very  slight  up- 
ward  or   downward  slide  of  the  voice,  expressing  wliat 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  79 

may  be  termed  the  current  melody  of  tlie  sentence,  in 
quiet  conversation  and  in  unemotional  reading.  It  is 
the  distance  in  tone  between  C  and  D,  or  Do  and  lie 
on  the  scale  in  music. 

2.  "  The  simple  rise  and  foil  of  the  second,  and  per- 
haps its  wave,"  says  Dr.  Rush,  "  when  used  for  plain 
narration,  or  for  the  mere  statement  of  an  unexcited 
idea,  is  the  only  intonated  voice  of  man  that  does  not 
spring  from  a  passionate,  or,  in  some  degree,  an  earnest 
condition  of  his  mind.  If  we  listen  to  his  ignorance, 
doubt,  selfishness,  arrogance,  and  injustice,  we  hear  the 
vivid  forms  of  vocal  expression,  proceeding  from  these 
and  related  passions. 

3.  "  Thus  we  have  the  rising  intervals  of  the  fifth  and 
octave,  for  interrogatives,  not  of  wisdom  but  of  envious 
curiosity ;  the  downward  third,  fifth,  and  octave,  for  dog- 
matic or  tyrannical  command ;  waves  for  the  surprise 
of  ignorance,  the  snarling  of  ill-humor,  and  the  curling 
voice,  along  with  the  curling  lip  of  contempt ;  the  pierc- 
ing height  of  pitch  for  the  scream  of  terror;  the  semi- 
tone, for  the  peevish  whine  of  discontent,  and  for  the 
puling  cant  of  the  hypocrite  and  the  knave,  who  cover 
beneath  the  voice  of  kindness,  the  designs  of  tlieir  craft. 

4.  "  Then  listen  to  liim  on  those  rare  occasions,  M'hen 
he  forgets  himself  and  his  passions,  and  has  to  utter  a 
simple  idea,  or  plainly  to  narrate ;  and  you  will  hear 
the  second,  the  least  obtrusive  interval  of  tlie  scale, 
in  the  admirable  liarmony  of  Nature,  made  the  simple 
sign  of  the  unexcited  sentiment  of  her  wisdom  and 
truth." 

V.     Inflection  Drill  on  the  Second. 

1.  Count,  in  a  gentle  tone,  from  one  to  twenty,  with 
the  slight  rising  inflection,  thus — one,  two,  thrde,  four,  etc. 

2.  Count  from  one  to  twenty  wath  the  slight  falling 
inflection,  thus — one,  two,  etc. 


80  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION, 

3.  Count  with  alternate  rising  and  falling,  thus — one, 
two,  thrde,  lour,  etc.,  to  thirty. 

4.  Sound  the  long  vocals,  a,  e,  i,  o,  u :  (1)  With  the 
rising  second.  (2)  With  the  falUug  second.  (3)  Alter- 
nate rising  and  falling. 

VI.     The  Slide  of  the  Third. 

1.  The  slide  of  the  third  corresponds  to  the  interval, 
on  the  scale,  between  C  and  E,  or  Do  and  Mi. 

2.  When  the  voice  rises  on  a  word  through  an  inter- 
val of  two  tones,  or  a  major  third,  it  expresses  moderate 
emphasis,  interrogation,  contrast,  or  slight  surprise ;  when 
the  voice  falls  through  the  same  interval,  it  expresses 
moderate  emphasis,  assertion,  command,  contrast,  or  the 
conclusion  of  a  proposition. 

3.  The  inliection  of  the  third  is  the  prevailing  slide 
of  animated  and  earnest  conversation,  and  of  the  slightly 
emphatic  words  of  narrative,  didactic,  or  descriptive  com- 
position.    It  is  the  slide  of  antithesis  in  contrasted  words. 

VII.     Unemotional  Slides. 

The  slides  of  the  second  and  third  are  tlie  senten- 
tial or  unemotional  inflections  as  contrasted  with  the 
fifth  and  the  eighth,  wliich  are  the  slides  of  emotion  and 
passion. 

VIII.     Inflection  Drill  on  the  Third. 

1.  Count,  with  moderate  force  and  emphasis,  from  one 
to  twenty  with  the  rising  third,  thus :  (')iie,  tw('),  tlirde,  etc. 

2.  Count  iVom  one  to  twenty  with  the  falling  third, 
thus  :  one,  two,  thrfee,  etc. 

3.  Count  with  alternate  rising  and  falling  third,  thus  : 
(Hie,  two,  thred,  four,  etc. 

4.  Will  you  go  or  sUhj  ? 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  81 

IX.    The  Slides  of  the  Fifth  and  the  Eighth. 

1.  The  sliile  of  the  fifth  corresponds  to  the  interval 
between  C  and  G,  or  Do  and  Sol,  and  the  slide  of  tiie 
eighth,  or  the  octave,  to  the  interval  between  C  and 
C,  or  Do  and  Do. 

2.  When  the  voice  rises  through  the  interval  of  the  fiftli, 
it  expresses  impassioned  interrogation,  extreme  surprise, 
or  strong  negation ;  when  it  falls  through  the  same  in- 
terval, it  expresses  deep  conviction,  strong  determination, 
emphatic  declaration,  stern  command,  or  stroug  emotion. 

3.  Under  the  influence  of  intense  excitemeut  or  pas- 
sion, the  voice  sometimes  rises  or  falls  through  the 
whole  octave.  The  rising  octave  expresses  amazement, 
astonishment,  excited  interrogation,  intense  irony,  and 
the  falling  octave  expresses  fierce  determination,  impas- 
sioned scorn,  imprecation,  and  defiance. 

4.  Thus,  when  Douglas  cries  out  under  the  influence 
of  intense  auger — 

"  And  dar'st  thou  then 
To  beard  the  Hon  in  his  den, 
The  Douglas  in  his  hull  ? " 
The  voice  on  "  hall  "  rises  through  the  whole  octave.     And 
when  Coriolanus  cries  out :    "  Measureless  liar,"  the  voice 
on  "  measureless "  falls  through  the  octave. 

5.  The  words  "  ah !  indeed ! "  uttered  so  as  to  express 
the  greatest  possible  degree  of  astonishment,  illustrate 
the  rising  octave. 

X.    Inflection  Drill. 

1.  Sound  the  long  vocals,  a,  e,  I,  5,  u,  with  the  rising 
fiftli;    the  falling  fifth. 

2.  Sound  the  long  vocals,  a,  e,  I,  5,  fi,  with  the  rising 
eighth  ;    with  the  falling  octave. 

3.  Count  from  one  to  twenty  with  the  rising  fifth ; 
the  falling  fifth. 

6 


82  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

I.     THE   EISING   INFLECTION, 

1.  The  rising  inflection  calls  attention  to  what  is  to 
follow.  It  is  the  inflection  of  incomplete  statement,  of 
appeal,  of  inquiry,  and  of  negative  antithesis. 

2.  It  is  the  p)i'cvailing  inflection  of  sentiment,  of  tender- 
ness, and  of  pathos. 

3.  It  is  the  characteristic  inflection  used  in  stating 
ivhat  is  comparative/^/  unimportant,  trite,  questionable, 
doubtful,  or  parenthetical. 

EULES   FOE  THE   ElSING   INFLECTION. 

Bule  I.  Questions  requiring  YES  or  NO  for  an  ansicer 
have  the  rising  inflection,  except  when  very  cmplmtic. 

EXAMPLES. 

[Eising  Third.  —  Light  Emphasis.] 

1.  Have  you  recited  your  lessons  ? 

2.  Is  it,  0  nniii,  with  such  discordant  noises, 

With  such  accursed  instruments  as  fJiese, 
Thou  drownest  Nature's  sweet  and  kindly  v6ices. 
And  jarrest  the  celestial  lidrmonies  1 
3.    Breathes  there  the  man  with  soul  so  d^ad, 
Who  never  to  himself  hath  said, 

This  is  my  6%vn,  my  native  kind  ? 
Whose  heart  hath  ne'er  within  him  burned. 
As  hdme  his  footsteps  he  hath  turned, 
From  wandering  on  a  foreign  strdnd  ? 
[Fifth  and  EigJdh. — Strong  Emphasis.] 

4.  Hates  any  man  the  thing  he  would  not  JMl? 

5.  What !  wouldst  thou  have  a  serpent  sting  thee 
tivice  ? 

6.    And  dar'st  thou  then 

To  beard  the  lion  in  his  dl^n, 
The  DouLdas  in  his  hall  ? 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  83 

7.   Art  tliou  a  friend  to  Roderick  ? — No. 
Thou  dar'st  not  call  thyself  his  foe .? 

8.  Is  it  come  to  this  ?  Shall  an  inferior  7ndgistrate, 
a  governor,  who  holds  his  whole  power  of  the  Roman 
people,  in  a  Roman  prdvince,  within  sight  of  Italy, 
hind,  scourge,  t6rturc,  and  put  to  an  infamous  death,  a 
Roman  citizen  ?  Shall  neither  the  cries  of  inndcence 
expiring  in  agony,  the  tears  of  pitying  spcctdtors,  the 
majesty  of  the  Romayi  Cdmmonwealth,  nor  fear  of  the 
justice  of  his  country,  restrain  the  merciless  monster, 
who,  in  the  confidence  of  his  riches,  strikes  at  the  very 
root  of  liberty,  and  sets  mankind  at  defiance  ?  And 
shall  this  man  escape?  Fathers,  it  must  not  be!  It 
must  not  be,  unless  you  would  undermine  the  very 
foundations  of  social  safety,  strangle  justice,  and  call 
down  anarchy,  mdssacre,  and  ruin  on  the  Common- 
wealth !  Cicero. 

9.  Canst  thou  bind  the  unicorn  with  his  band  in  the 
furrow  1  or  will  he  harrow  the  valleys  after  thee  ?  Wilt 
thou  trust  him  because  his  strength  is  great  ?  or  wilt 
thou  leave  thy  labor  to  him  ? 

Gavest  thou  the  goodly  wings  unto  the  peacocks  ?  or 
wings  and  feathers  unto  the  ostrich?  Canst  thou  draw 
out  leviathan  with  a  hook  l  or  liis  tdngue  witli  a  c6rd 
which  thou  lettest  down  ?  Canst  thou  put  a  hdok  into 
his  n6se?'  or  bore  his  jdio  through  with  a  thorn?  Wilt 
tliou  pldy  with  him  as  with  a  bird  ?  or  wilt  thou  bind 
him  for  thy  maidens?  Canst  thou  fill  his  skin  with 
barbed  iro^as?   or  his  head  with  fish  spears?       Book  of  Job. 

Rule  II.  Words  repeated  in  surprise  take  the  rising 
inflection,  and  are  emphatic. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.    Must  I  endure  all  this?     All  this?     Ay,  more. 


84  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

2.     Catiline's  reply. 
" Banished  fro7n  Fiomc ! "     What's  banished  but  set  free 
From  daily  contact  with  the  things  I  loathe? 
"  Tried  atid  convicted  traitor  ! "      Who  says  this  ?     crolv. 

3.      SQUEERS. 

"Who  cried  stop?"  said  Squeers,  turning  savagely 
round. 

"  P"  said  Nicholas,  stepping  forward.  "  Tliis  must  not 
go  on." 

"Must  not  go  on!"  cried  Squeers,  almost  in  a  shriek. 

"No!"  thundered  Nicholas.  dickess. 

Call  on  the  class  to  find  five  additional  illustrations. 

Rule  III.  Words  and  j^hrascs  of  address,  unless  very 
emjjhatic,  take  the  slight  rising  inflection. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  Sir,  I  believe  the  hour  has  come. 

2.  Mr.  President,  I  desire  to  offer  a  resolution. 

3.  Friends,  Eonians,  countrymen,  lend  me  your  ears. 

4.  Fellow-citizens,  the  time  for  action  has  come. 

5.  Good  friends,  siveet  friends,  let  me  not  stir  you  up 
To  such  a  sudden  Hood  of  mutiny. 

Call  on  each  pupil  to  find  one  additional  illustration. 
EXCEPTION. 

6.  0  comrades  !  ivarriors  !  Thracians  !  if  we  must  fight, 
let  us  fight  for  ourselves. 

7.  Princes  !  potentates  !  warriors  ! 

Rule  IV.  The  language  of  entreaty,  coaxing,  or  flat- 
tery, takes  the  rising  inflection. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.       ARTHUIl    IX    KINO   .TOIIX. 

Al;is,  what  need  you  be  so  boistcrous-^vm////  ? 
I   will   not  struggle;  T   will  stand  stone-still. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  85 

For  heaven's  sake,  Hubert,  let  me  not  be  hoiAnd ; 

Nay,  hear  me,  Hubert ;   drive  but  these  men  awdy, 

And  I  will  sit  as  quiet  as  a  Ichnh; 

I  will  not  stir,  nor  wince,  nor  speak  a  word, 

Nor  looh  upon  the  iron  dngcrly : 

Tiirust  but  these  men  away,  and  1 11  forgive  you, 

Whatever  torment  you  do  2^'^*^^  lu^^  to.  shakespeaee. 

2.     MRS.  caudle's  cuutain  lectures. 
I. 

Now,  Caudle,  dear,  do  let  ns  talk  comfortably.  After 
all,  love,  there's  a  good  many  folks  who,  I  dare  say, 
don't  get  on  half  so  well  as  we've  done.  We've  both 
our  little  tt^mpers,  perhaps ;  but  you  arc  aggravating ; 
you  must  own  tlidt,  Caudle.  W^ll,  never  mind ;  we  won't 
talk  of  it ;    I  won't  scold  you  noio. 

II. 

I  'm  sure  I  do  n't  object  to  your  being  a  Mason ;  not 
at  all,  Caudle.  I  dare  say  it 's  a  very  good  thing ;  I  dare 
say  it  is  .•  it 's  only  your  making  a  secret  of  it  that  vexes 
me.  But  you  '11  tell  me — you  '11  tell  your  own  Margaret  ? 
Yon  won't  ?     You  're  a  ivretch,  Mr.  Caudle.  harrold. 

Mule  V.  Ncgatwc  expressions,  whether  of  words,  -phrases, 
clauses,  or  sentences,  take  the  rising  inflection  ivhen  they 
carry  the  attention  forward  to  a  contrasted  affirmation, 
or  backward  to  an  affirmative  statement. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  I  come  not  here  to  talk. 

Ye  know  too  toell  the  story  of  our  tlirdlldom. 

2.  The  battle,  sir,  is  not  to  the  strong  alone. 
It  is  to  the  vigilant,  the  active,  the  hrdve. 

3.    Tell  me  not,  in  mouruful  numbers, 
Life  is  but  an  empty  dream; 
For  the  soul  is  dead  that  slumbers. 
And  things  arc  not  what  they  seem. 


86  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

4.  I  come  not,  friends,  to  steal  away  your  hcdrts ; 
t  am  no  oi'ator,  as  Brutus  is : 

But,  as  you  know  me  all,  a  plain,  blunt  man. 

5.  Cleon  hath  a  million  acres — ne'er  a  one  have  I^; 
Cleon  dwelleth  in  a  palace — in  a  cottacje,  V ; 
Cleon  hath  a  dozen  furtuncs — not  a  •penny,  V ; 
But  the  poorer  of  the  twain  is  Cleoiiy  and  n6t  Y. 

6.       FREEDOM. 

0  Freedom  /  thou  art  not,  as  p6ets  dream, 

A  fair  young  girl,  with  light  and  delicate  liuibs, 

And  wavy  tresses  gushing  from  the  cap 

With  which  the  Roman  master  crowned  his  sldve, 

When  he  took  off  the  gyves.     A  hearded  man, 

Armed  to  the  teeth,  art  thou.  bryant. 

7.      THE   OCEAN. 

The  armaments  |  which  thunderstrike  the  M'alls  | 
Of  rock-built  cities,  bidding  nations  quake. 
And  monarchs  |  tremble  in  their  capitals, 
The  oak  leviathans,  whose  luige  ribs  make 
Their  chiy  creator  |  the  vain  title  |  take  | 
Of  lord  of  thee,  and  arl)iter  of  war; — 
These,  are  thy  toys,  and  as  the  snowy  jlahe  \ 
They  melt  into  tliy  yeast  of  waves,  which  mar  | 
Alike  I  the  Armada's  pride  1  or  spoils  of  Trafalgar. 

BVRON. 

8.      LIBERTY. 

Tell  me  not  of  the  honor  of  belonging  to  a  free 
co'dntry.  I  ask,  does  our  liberty  bear  generous  fruits'} 
Does  it  exalt  us  in  manly  spirit,  in  pnUic  virtue,  above 
countries  trodden  under  foot  by  desp)otism  ? — Tell  me 
not  of  the  cxtSit  of  our  country.  T  care  not  liow  Idrge 
it  is,  if  it  midti])ly  degenerate  m^n.  Speak  not  of 
our  2jrosperity.  Better  be  one  of  a  poor  iieople,  plain 
in   nii'inners,  reverencing  G(xl,  and  respecting  tluMnselves, 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  87 

than   belong   to  a  rich  country,  which  knows  no  higher 
good  than  riches.  channing. 

9.      WHAT   COXSTITUTES  A   STATE  ? 

What  constitutes  a  State  ? 

Not  high-raised  battlement  or  labored  mound, 
Thick  ivdll  or  moated  gate; 

Not  cities  proud  with  spires  and  turrets  crowned. 
Not  hdys  and  broad-armed  j^w^ts, 

Where,  laughing  at  the  storm,  rich  navies  ride : 
Not  starred  and  spangled  cdurts 

Where  low-bred  baseness  wafts  perfume  to  |5?'icZe; 
No;  men,  high-minded  men;  men,  who  their  duties  know; 

But  know  their  rights;  and  knowing,  dare  maintain; 
Prevent  the  long-aimed  blow, 

And  crush  the  tyrant  while  they  rend  the  chain. 
These  constitute  a  State.  joxes. 

Call  on  pupils  to  find  additional  examples. 

Rule  VI.  Incomflete  expressions,  whctlicr  of  ^jh^ases  or 
clauses,  ivhen  they  carry  the  mind  forward  to  something  to 
he  stated,  require  the  rising  inflection. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  Born  to  inherit  the  most  illustrious  monarchy  in 
the  ivdrld,  and  early  united  to  the  object  of  her  chdice, 
the  amiable  priyicess,  happy  in  hersdlf,  and  joyful  in 
her  future  prdsjyeets,  little  anticipated  the  fate  that  was 
so  soon  to  overtake  her. 

2.      THE   PILGRIM   FATHERS. 

And  yet,  do  you  not  think,  that  who  so  cduld,  by 
adequate  description,  bring  before  you  that  lointer  of  the 
Pilgrims,  its  brief  sunshine,  the  nights  of  st6rm,  slow 
waning;  the  damp  and  icy  breath,  felt  to  the  pillow  of 
the  dying;  its  destitutions,  its  contrasts  with  all  their 
former  experience  in  life ;  its  utter  insulation  and  Idneli- 
ness ;    its  dedth-beds  and  burials;    its  memories;   its  ap- 


88  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

prehensions;  its  hdpcs ;  the  consultations  of  the  prTAdrnt ; 
the  |:)?7/^t'rs  of  the  pious;  the  occasional  cheerful  hymn, 
in  wliich  tlie  strong  heart  tlirew  off  its  burthen,  and, 
asserting  its  nnvauquished  nature,  went  up,  like  a  bird 
of  dawn,  to  the  skies; — do  ye  not  think  that  whoso 
could  describe  them  calmly  waiting  in  that  defile,  lonelier 
and  darker  than  Thermupylrc.,  for  a  morning  that  might 
never  dawn,  or  might  show  them,  when  it  did,  a  mightier 
arm  than  the  Persian,  raised  as  in  act  to  strike,  would 
he  not  sketch  a  scene  of  more  diificult  and  rarer  hero- 
ism? A  scdne,  as  Wordsworth  has  said,  "melancholy, 
yea,  dismal,  yet  consolatory  and  full  of  joy ; "  a  sc4ne, 
even  better  fitted,  to  succor,  to  exalt,  to  lead,  the  for- 
lorn hopes  of  all  great  causes,  till  time  shall  be  nb  more. 

Choate. 
3.      THE  STRIFE. 

Notice  that  the  last  four  stanzas  constitute  one  sentence. 

The  wish  that  of  the  living  whole 

No  life  may  fdil  beyond  the  grdve — 
Derives  it  not  from  wliat  we  have 

The  likest  God  within  the  s6ul  ? 

Are  God  and  nature  then  at  strife, 

That  ndture  lends  sucli  evil  drdams  ? 
So  careful  of  the  type  she  seems, 

So  careless  of  the  single  life, 

That  t,  considering  everywhere 

Her  secret  meaning  in  her  ddeds, 
And  finding  tliat  oi  fifty  seeds 

She  often  brings  but  one  to  bear — 

I  falter  where  I  firmly  tr6d ; 

And,  falling  with  my  weight  of  cares 
Ul)on  the  great  world's  a^/ar-stairs. 

That  slope  through  darkness  up  to  G6d, 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  89 

I  stretch  lame  hands  of  faith,  and  grope, 
And  gather  dust  and  didff,  and  call 
To  what  I  feel  is  Lord  of  all, 

And  faintly  trust  the  larger  hope. 

Tennyson's  In  Mcmoriam. 
4.       THE    LADDER   OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE. 

The  low  desire,  the  base  design, 
That  makes  another's  virtues  Idss ; 

The  revel  of  the  treacherous  wine, 
And  all  occasions  of  excdss  ; 

The  longing  for  ignoble  things. 

The  strife  for  triumph  more  than  truth  ; 

The  hardening  of  the  heart  that  brings 
Irreverence  for  the  dreams  of  youth ; 

All  thoughts  of  ill ;  all  evil  deeds 

Tliat  have  their  root  in  thouohts  of  ill : 

Whatever  hinders  or  impedes 
The  action  of  the  noble  will, — 

All  these  must  first  be  trampled  down 
Beneath  our  feet,  if  we  would  gain 

In  the  bright  fields  of  fair  renown, 

The  right  of  eminent  domain.         Longfellow. 


Hule  VII.  Conditional  phrases  and  clauses,  when  in- 
troductory, take  the  rising  inflection,  hecatise  the  sense  is 
carried  forward  to  the  principal  statements  on  ichich  they 
depend. 

EXAMPIiES. 

1.      FROM    "the   armory." 

Were  half  the  power  that  fills  the  world  with  terror ; 

Were  half  the  wealtli,  bestowed  on  camps  and  cuiirts. 
Given  to  redeem  the  human  mind  from  error, 

There  were  no  need  of  arsenals  or  forts.  Longfellow. 


90  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

2.      FROM    "JULIUS  C.?:SAR." 

As  Csesar  I6vcd  me,  I  whp  for  him ;  as  he  was  fdrtu- 
nate,  I  rejoice  at  it;  as  he  was  vdliant,  I  hbnor  him  ;  but, 
as  he  was  ambitions,  I  deiv  him.  There  is  tears  for  his 
love ;  joy  for  his  tortune ;  honor  for  his  valor ;  and 
death  for  his  ambition. 

3.      WATER. 

Of  all  inorganic  substances,  acting  in  their  own  proper 
nature,  and  without  assistance  or  comhindtion,  wdter  is 
the  most  whndcrfal.  If  we  think  of  it  as  the  source  of 
all  tlie  changefuluess  and  beauty  which  we  have  seen 
in  clouds;  then  as  the  instrument  by  which  the  earth 
we  have  contemijlated  Avas  modeled  into  symmetry,  and 
its  crags  chiseled  into  grdec ;  tlien,  as  in  the  form  of 
sndio,  it  robes  the  mountains  it  lias  mdcU  with  that 
transcendent  light  which  we  could  not  have  conceived  if 
we  had  not  seen ;  then  as  it  exists  in  the  foam  of  the 
tdrrent — in  the  iris  which  spdns  it,  in  the  morning  mist 
wliich  rises  from  it,  in  the  deep  crystalline  pdols  which 
mirror  its  hanging  shdre,  in  the  broad  Idkc  and  glancing 
river ;  finally,  in  that  which  is  to  all  human  minds  the 
best  emblem  of  unwdaried,  unconquerable  j'dwer,  the  wild, 
various,  fantastic,  tameless  unity  of  the  sea  ;  what  shall 
we  compcire  to  this  iinghty,  this  ^tniversal  element,  for 
gldry  and  for  beauty  ?  or  how  shall  we  follow  its  eternal 
chdngefulness   of  fheling  ?     It   is   like    trying   to  paint  a 

soul.  UlSKIN. 

4.  FROM  Webster's  SPEECHES. 
I. 
If  disastrous  vxir  sweep  our  cdmmerce  IVoni  the  dcean, 
andthcr  generation  may  renhv  it ;  if  it  e.xhaust  our  treas- 
ury, future  industry  may  replenish  it ;  if  it  desolate  and 
lay  waste  our  fields,  still,  under  a  nSiu  cultivation,  they 
will  grow  grSen  again,  and  ripen  to  future  harvests. 

II. 
If  discord  and  disunion  shall  ivodiid  it ;  if  party  strife 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  91 

and  blind  ambition  shall  hdivk  at  and  tcai^  it;  if  folly 
and  madness,  if  uneasiness  under  salutary  restrdint,  shall 
succeed  to  separate  it  from  that  Union,  by  which  alone 
its  existence  is  made  sure,  it  will  stand,  in  the  ^nd,  by 
the  side  of  that  cradle  in  which  its  infancy  ivas  rbckeel ; 
it  will  stretch  forth  its  arm  with  whatever  of  vigor  it 
may  still  retain,  over  the  friends  who  gather  round  it ; 
and  it  will  fall,  if  fall  it  must,  amid  the  2'}>'oudest  711011- 
uments  of  its  glory  and  on  the  very  sj)dt  of  its  origin. 

Eequire  each  pupil,  at  the  next  lesson,  to  read  one  additional  illus- 
tration, selected  from  some  extract  m  this  hook. 

Rule  VIII.  In  poetic  description,  whether  of  prose  or 
verse,  the  p)vevailing  inflection  is  the  slight  rising  injlection 
of  the  "  third." 

EXAMPLES. 

1.      FROM    WHITTIER's    "  RANGER." 

Nowhere  fairer,  swdeter,  rarer, 
Does  the  golden-locked  friiit-bearer, 

Through  his  painted  woodlands  stray, 
Than  where  hillside  oaks  and  bdeches 
Overlook  the  long,  blue  reaches, 
Silver  coves  and  pel:)bled  bdaches. 

And  green  isles  of  Casco  Bay : 

Nowhere  day,  for  delay, 
With  a  tenderer  look  beseeches, 

"  Let  me  with  my  charmed  earth  stay." 

2.     WATER. 

Gleaming  in  the  ddw-drop,  singing  in  the  summer  rain, 
shining  in  the  ice-gem  till  the  trees  seem  turned  to 
living  jewels,  spreading  a  golden  \6\\  over  the  setting 
sun,  or  a  white  gauze  around  the  midnight  moon ;  sport- 
ing in  the  cataract,  sleeping  in  the  glacier,  dancing  in 
the  hail-shower,  folding  bright  snow-curtains  softly  above 
the    wintry  world,    and    weaving   the    many-colored    fris. 


92  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

that  seraph's  zone  of  tlie  sky,  whose  warp  is  the  rain 
of  ^arth,  whose  woof  is  the  sunbeam  of  hdaven,  all 
checkered  over  with  celestial  flowers  by  the  mystic  hand 
of  rarefaction — still  always  it  is  beautiful,  that  blessed 
cold  water  !  No  poison  bubbles  on  its  V)n'nk — its  foam 
brings  not  madness  and  murder — no  blood  stains  its  liquid 
glass — pale  widows  and  starving  orphans  weep  not  burn- 
ing tears  in  its  clear  depths — no  drunkard's  shrieking 
ghost  from  the  grave  curses  it  in  %vords  of  despair ! 
Spcah  bid,  my  friends ;  would  you  exchange  it  for  the 
demon's  drink — dlcohol  ? 

A  shout  like  the  roar  of  the  tempest  answered  "  No  ! 

No'  !  "  Denton. 

3.      THE  VOICE   OF   SPRING. 

The  fisher  is  out  on  the  sunny  sda ; 

And  the  reindeer  bounds  o'er  the  pasture  fr^e  ; 

And  the  pine  has  a  fringe  of  softer  grden, 

And  the  moss  looks  bright,  where  my  foot  liatli  been. 

From  the  streams  and  founts  I  have  loosed  the  chain. 

They  are  sweeping  on  to  the  silvery  main, 

They  are  flashing  down  from  tlie  mountain  brows, 

They  are  flinging  spray  o'er  the  forest  bouglis, 

They  are  bursting  fresh  from  their  sparry  c;ives  ; 

And  the  earth  resounds  with  the  joy  of  waves. 

Hkmans. 

Rule  IX.    Pathos   and   tender  feeling  incline  the  voice 
to  the  slight  rising  inflection. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.      BABIE   BELL. 

And  what  did  dainty  Babie  Bfell  ? 
She  only  crossed  her  little  hands ! 
She  only  looked  more  meek  and  fair  ! 
We  parted  back  lier  silken  hair ; 
We  laid  some  buds  upon  her  brow — 
Death's  bride  arrayed  in  flbioers  !  ai.drich. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  93 

2.     THE   KANGEK. 

When  the  shadows  vail  the  meadows. 
And  the  sunset's  golden  ladders 

Sink  from  twilight's  walls  of  grav — 
From  the  window  of  my  dreaming, 
I  can  see  his  sickle  gleaming, 
Cheery-voiced  can  hear  him  teaming 

Down  the  locust-shaded  way  ; 

But  away,  swift  away, 
Fades  the  fond,  delusive  sedming, 

And  I  kneel  again  to  pray.  whittier. 

Rule  X.  In  a  series  of  words  or  phrases,  if  the  par- 
ticulars enumerated  arc  unimportant,  or  if  they  arc  to  he 
taken  as  constituting  a  vjhole,  each  p)articidar,  except  the 
last  in  a  closing  series,  takes  the  rising  infection. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  The  sun,  the  planets,  their  satellites,  the  comets, 
and  the  mdteors,  compose  the  solar  system. 

2.  The  solar  system  consists  of  the  siin,  tlie  planets, 
their  satellites,  the  comets,  and  the  meteors. 

3.  The  minerals  of  California  are  gold,  silver,  copper, 
iron,  tin,  and  quicksilver. 

4.  Wheat,  flour,  pork,  bdef,  cotton,  tobacco,  and  petro- 
leum are  exported  from  the  United  States. 

5.   The  Goth,  the  Christian,  Time,  War,  Flood,  and  Fire, 
Have  dealt  upon  the  seven-hilled  city's  pride. 

6.      CHRISTMAS    MARKETS. 

Heaped  upon  the  fl(')or,  to  form  a  kind  of  throne, 
■were  turkeys,  g^ese,  game,  brawn,  great  joints  of  m^at, 
sucking-pigs,  long  wreaths  of  sausages,  mince-pies,  plum- 
piiddings,  barrels  of  oysters,  red-hot  chestnuts,  cherry- 
cheeked  apples,  juicy  oranges,  luscious  p^ars,  immense 
twdlfth-Ctikes,  and  great  bowls  of  punch.  dickens. 


94  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

7.     BOARDING-SCHOOL  CUItRICULUM. 

And  thus  their  studies  they  pursued : — On  Sunday, 

B^ef,  collects,  butter,  tdxts  from  Dr.  Price; 
Mutton,  French,  pancakes,  grammar — of  a  Monday ; 

Tuesday — hard  dumplings,  globes,  Chapone's  Advice. 

Wednesday — fancy-work,  rice-milk  (no  spice)  ; 
Thursday — pork,  dancing,  currant-bolsters,  reading; 

Friday,  bdef,  Mr.  Butler,  and  plain  rice ; 
Saturday — scraps,  short  lessons  and  short  feeding, 
Stocks,  back-boards,  hash,  steel-collars,  and  good  brdeding. 

Hood. 

8.  FUOM   DICKEXS'S    "  CIIIUSTMAS    CAROL." 

It  was  a  game  called  Yes  and  No,  where  Scrooge's 
nephew  had  to  think  of  something,  and  the  rest  must 
find  out  what ;  he  only  answering  to  their  questions  yes 
or  no,  as  the  case  was.  The  fire  of  questioning  to 
which  he  was  exposed  elicited  from  him  that  he  was 
thinking  of  an  dnimal,  a  live  animal,  rather  a  disagrec- 
ahlc  animal,  a  savage  animal,  an  animal  that  growled  and 
grunted  sometimes,  and  tdlked  sometimes,  and  lived  in 
Ldndoii,  and  walked  about  the  streets,  and  was  n't  made 
a  shdiv  of,  and  was  n't  led  by  anybody,  and  did  n't  live 
in  a  menagerie,  and  was  never  killed  in  a  mdrhet,  and 
was  not  a  horse,  or  an  ass,  or  a  c6w,  or  a  hull,  or  a 
tiger,  or  a  dog,  or  a  j'^'o^  or  a  cat,  or  a  hear. 

9.  FROM  Dickens's  "  Christmas  carol." 
Sitting-room,  bedroom,  lumber-room,  all  as  they  shoiild 

be.  Nobody  under  the  table  ;  nobody  under  the  sofa ; 
a  small  fire  in  tlie  grate  ;  spoon  and  basin  rdady  ;  and 
the  little  saucepan  of  gruel  (Scrooge  had  a  cold  in  his 
head)  upon  the  liob.  Nobody  under  the  bi^d  ;  nobody 
in  the  closet;  nobody  in  his  dressing-gown,  which  was 
hanging  up  in  a  suspicious  attitude  against  the  w;ill. 
Luml)er-room  as  usual.  Old  fire-guard,  old  shoes,  two 
I'ish-baskets,  washing-stand    on    three    legs,  and  a   poker. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  95 

II.    THE  FALLING  INFLECTIOK 

1.  The  falling  injlcdion  is  the  slide  of  the  cojiijilete 
statement. 

2.  It  is  the  characteristic  inflection  of  assertion,  of 
confidence,  of  eoiiiinand,  of  emotion,  and  of  2JC(-ssion. 

3.  It  denotes  ivhat  is  important,  interesting,  or  decisive. 
It  is  the  prevailing  infection  of  impressive  oratory. 

EULES   FOR   THE   FALLING   INFLECTION. 

Bide  I.  The  close  of  a  declarative,  imperative,  or  cx- 
clamatorg  sentence  is  genercdly  marked  hg  the  falling 
inflectio7i. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  The  liberty  of  tlie  jn-ess  is  tlie  highest  safeguard 
to  all  free  governiiieut.  It  is  like  a  great^  exulting,  and 
aboundiug  river. 

2.     Maud  Muller,  ou  a  summer's  day, 
Eaked  the  meadow  sweet  with  hay. 

3.    Ye  crags  and  pdaks,  I  'm  vjith  you  once  again ! 
I  hold  to  you  tlie  hands  you  first  beheld, 
To  show  they  still  are  free.     Methinks  I  hear 
A  spirit  in  your  echoes  ansiver  me, 
And  bid  your  tenant  welcome  to  his  home 
Again  !     0  sacred  forms,  how  p)roud  ye  look ! 
How  Itigh  you  lift  your  heads  into  the  sky! 
How  hiige  you  are !   how  mighty  and  how  free  ! 

Ride  II.  Tlie  answer  to  a  direct  question  generally 
takes  the  fcdling  inflection. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.    Are  you  going  to  school  ?     Yes,  I  am. 

2.    Sliall  traitors  lay  that  greatness  low? 
No  !   land  of  hope  and  blessing,  nh. 


96  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

EXCEPTIONS. 

Answers  given  in  a  cardcus  or  an  indifferent  manner 
sometimes  take  the  rising  infieetion,  as, 

1.  What  do  you  wuut  ?     Xotliing. 

2.  Which  will  you  have  ?     I  do  n't  care. 

3.  What  did  you  say  ?     Not  much. 

4.  May  I  stay  here  ?     Y^s,  you  may  if  you  like. 

5.  Out  spoke  the  ancient  fisherman:  "0  what  was  that, 
my  daughter  ? " 

"'Twas  nothing  but  a  pdbble,  sir,  I  threw  upon  the 
water." 

"And  what  is  that,  pray  tell  me,  love,  that  paddles 
off  so  fast  ?  " 

"  It 's  nothing  but  a  porpoise,  sir,  that 's  been  a  swim- 
ming past." 

Bide  III.  Impassioned  exclamation  or  very  emi^liatic 
assertion  is  characterized  hy  the  falling  inflection — usually 
the  fifth  or  eighth. 

EXAMPLES. 

[FidliiKi  Fif/h.] 

1.  Bise,  fellow-men,  our  coindry  yet  remains. 

2.  Clearness,  force,  and  earnestness  are  the  qualities 
which  produce  conviction. 

3.  Eloquence  is  action,  nolle,  snUimc,  ghdlike  action. 

4.    Strike — till  tlie  last  armed  foe  e,vpires ; 
Strike — for  your  altars  and  your  fires ; 
Strike — for  the  grc.cn  grdvcs  of  your  sires, 
God — and  your  native  land  ! 

[Falling  Eirfhth. — Emotional.'] 

.5.    0  hhrriUc !   0  horrihlc  !   most  hbrriUe  ! 
6.    0  my  prophetic  sbul  !   my  uncle  ! 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  97 

7.  We  lieard  the  piercing  shriek  of  murder  !  murder  ! 
milrder  ! 

8.  I  have  done  my  duty : — I  stand  acquitted  to  my 
cdnscience  and  my  country : — I  have  opposed  this  measure 
throughout ;  and  I  now  protest  against  it  as  harsh,  op- 
pressive, uncalled  for,  unjust, — as  establishing  an  infamous 
precedent  by  retaliating  o'ime  against  crime, — as  tyran- 
nous — cruelly  and  vindictively  tyrannous.  o'Connell. 

9.    The  mustering  place  is  Lanrick  mead, 
Speed  forth  the  signal,  Norman,   spiecd^ ; 
Her  summons  dread  brooks  no  delay, 
Stretch  to  the  race — away,  away  ! 

10.  Thy  threats,  thy  mercy,  I  defy. 
Let  recreant  yield  who  fears  to  d\e. 

11.  "Can  naught  but  hldod  our  feud  atdne? 
Are  there  n6  means?"     Nh,  stranger,  nhne. 

Rule  IV.  Indirect  questions  and  very  emphatic  direct 
questions  generally  take  the  falling  inflection. 

Interrogative  sentences  beginning  with  ivho,  which, 
u^hen,  where,  why,  and  how,  generally  take  the  falling 
inflection.  A  direct  question  if  repeated  a  second  or 
third  time,  frequently  takes  the  falling  inflection  for 
emphasis. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  What  constitutes  a  State  ? 

2.  What  is  it  that  gentlemen  wish? 

3.  When  was  he  graduated  1 

4.  Why  do  you  not  study  your  lesson  ? 

5.  "Speak  louder;  I  did  not  hear  your  question." 
"  Are  you  going  to  Bbston  ? " 

6.  0  why  should  the  spirit  of  mortal  be  proud  ? 

7 


98  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION, 

7.  "  Do  you  hear  the  rain,  Mr.  Caudle  ?  I  siy,  do  you 
hear  the  rain  ?  Do  you  hear  it  against  the  iiAndows  ? 
Do  you  hear  it,  I  say  ?     Oh  !  you  do  hear  it ! " 

Rule  V.  Completeness  of  thought  or  expression,  whether 
in  the  clauses  of  a  complex  sentence,  or  in  the  'p^^odtions 
of  a  comjjound  sentence,  gcncrcdhj  requires  the  falling  in- 
flection. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.       DEAD    HEROES, 

'  They  fell  |  devoted,  but  undying ; 
The  very  gale  |  their  names  seemed  sighing  ; 
The  waters  \  murmured  of  their  name; 
The  ivdods  \  were  peopled  with  iheix  fame ; 
The  silent  pillar,  lone  and  gray. 
Claimed  hindrcd  \  with  tlieir  sacred  clay: 
Their  spirits  \  wrapped  the  dusky  mbuntain. 
Their  memory  \  sparkled  o'er  the  fountain; 
The  meanest  rill,  the  miglitiest  river. 
Rolled  mingling  |  with  their  fame  forever. 

Byron. 
2.      FROM   goldsmith's    "DESERTED   VILLAGE." 

Imagination  fondly  stoops  to  trace 

The  })arlor  splendor  of  tliat  festive  place : 

The  whitewashed  ujdll,  the  nicely  sanded  Jlbor, 

The  varnished  clock  that  clicked  behind  tlie  door; 

The  chht,  contrived  a  double  debt  to  pay, 

A  bed  by  night,  a  chest  of  drawers  by  di\y; 

The  pictures  placed  for  ornament  and  use, 

The  twelve  good  rides,  the  royal  game  of  goose; 

Tlie  hearth,  except  when  winter  cliilled  the  diiy, 

With  aspen  houghs  and  flbivcrs  and  fhincl  gay  ; 

While  broken  tlacups,  wisely   kept  for  show, 

Eanged  o'er  the  chimney,  glistened  in  a  row. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  99 

3.     bacon's  philosophy. 

It  has  lengthened  life ;  it  has  mitigated  'pain  ;  it  has 
extinguished  diseases ;  it  has  increased  the  fertility  of 
the  soil ;  it  has  given  new  securities  to  the  mariner ;  it 
has  furnished  new  arms  to  the  warrior ;  it  has  spanned 
great  rivers  and  estuaries  with  bridges  of  form  unknown 
to  our  fathers ;  it  has  guided  the  tliunderholt  innocuously 
from  hdaven  to  earth ;  it  has  lighted  up  the  niglit  with 
the  splendor  of  the  day;  it  has  extended  the  range  of 
the  human  vision ;  it  has  nmltiplied  the  power  of  the 
human  muscles ;  it  has  accelerated  motion ;  it  has  anni- 
hilated distance  ;  it  has  facilitated  Intercourse,  correspond- 
ence, all  friendly  offices,  all  despatch  of  hilsiness ;  it  has 
enabled  men  to  descend  to  the  depths  of  the  sea,  to 
soar  into  the  air ;  to  penetrate  securely  into  the  noxious 
recesses  of  the  earth,  to  traverse  the  land  in  cars  which 
whirl  along  without  horses,  and  the  ocean  in  ships  which 
run  ten  knots  an  hour  against  the  wind.  macaulay. 

4.      FREEDOM. 

I  love  Freedom  better  than  Slavery.  I  will  speak  her 
words ;  I  will  listen  to  her  mitsic  ;  I  will  acknowledge  her 
impidscs ;  I  will  stand  beneath  her  fidy  ;  I  will  fight 
in  her  ranks ;  and,  when  I  do  so,  I  shall  find  myself 
surrounded  by  the  great,  the  wise,  the  good,  the  brave, 
the  noble  of  every  khid.  bakeb. 

5.  choate's  eulogy  ox  webster. 
"We  seem  to  see  his  form  and  hear  his  deep,  grave 
speech  everywhere.  By  some  felicity  of  his  personal  life  ; 
by  some  wise,  deep,  or  beautiful  word  spoken  or  written  ; 
by  some  service  of  his  own,  or  some  commemoration  of 
the  services  of  others,  it  has  come  to  pass  that  "  our 
granite  hills,  our  inland  shas,  prairies,  and  fresh,  un- 
bounded, magnificent  wilderness ;  "  our  encircling  ocean ; 
the  resting-place  of  the  Pilgrims ;   our  new-born  sister  of 


100  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

the  Pacific ;  our  popiilar  assemblies ;  our  fr6e  schbols ; 
all  our  cherished  doctrines  of  education,  and  of  the 
inlluence  of  religion,  and  national  policy  and  law,  and 
the  Constitution,  give  us  back  his  name.  What  American 
Iclnclscajye  will  you  look  on  ;  what  subject  of  American 
interest  will  you  studi/ ;  what  source  of  hope  or  of 
anxiety,  as  an  American,  will  you  acknowledge,  that  it  I 
does   not  recall  him  ? 

Rule  VI.  In  commencing  a  series  of  emphatic  particu- 
lars, each  particular  except  the  last  takes  the  slight  falling 
inflection  of  the  "  third,"  and  in  a  concluding  series,  each 
particular  except  the  last  but  one  takes  the  falling  infec- 
tion. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  The  air,  the  earth,  the  water  teem  with  delighted 
existence. 

2.  YkloT,  humanity,  courtesy,  justice,  and  honor,  were 
tlie   characteristics   of  chivalry. 

3.  The  ministers  of  religion,  the  priests  of  literature, 
the  historians  of  the  past,  the  illustrators  of  tlie  present, 
capital,  science,  art,  invention,  discbveries,  the  works  of 
genius — all  these  will  attend  us  in  our  march,  and  we 
shall  conquer.  Bakeh. 

4.  The  characteristics  of  chivalry  were  v^lor,  humanity, 
courtesy,  justice,  and  honor. 

5.      A   TROPICAL  SCENE. 

The  mhuntain-  wooded  to  the  p^ak,  the  lawns 
And   winding  glades  high  uj)  like  ways  to  hkivcn, 
The  slender  coco's  drooping  crown  of  p)lknies, 
The  lightning  flash  of  insect  and  of  bird. 
The  luster  of  the  long  convblviduses 
That  coiled  around  the  stately  stems,  and  ran 
Even  to  the  limit  of  the  land,  the  glows 
And  glories  of  the  broad  belt  of  the  wbrld. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  101 

All  thhc  lie  saw ;   but  wliat  be  fain  bad  seen 

He  could  not  s6e,  tbe  kiudly  buman  face, 

Nor  ever  bear  a  kindly  voice,  but  beard 

Tbe  myriad  sbriek  of  wlieeling  occfm-tbwl, 

The  league-long  roller  tbundering  on  tbe  reef, 

Tbe  moving  wbisper  of  huge  trees  tbat  branched 

And  blossomed  in  tbe  zenith,  or  tbe  sweep 

Of  some  precipitous  rivulet  to  tbe  wave, 

As  down  tbe  shore  be  ranged,  or  all  day  long 

Sat  often  in  tbe  seaward-gazing  g6rge, 

A  sbipwrecked  sailor,  waiting  for  a  sail; 

No  sail  from  day  to  day,  but  every  ddy 

Tbe  sunrise  broken  into  scarlet  sbafts 

Among  tbe  palms  and  ferns  and  precipices ; 

Tbe  blaze  upon  tbe  waters  to  tbe  east ; 

Tbe  blaze  upon  bis  Island  overbead ; 

Tbe  blaze  upon  tbe  waters  to  tbe  west ; 

Tben  tbe  great  stars  tbat  globed  tbemselves  in  bfeaven, 

Tbe  boUower-bellowing  ocean,  and  again 

Tbe  scarlet  sbafts  of  sunrise, — hut  no  sail. 

Tennyson's  Enoch  Arden. 
ILLUSTRATIOIV. 

Tbe  contrast  in  tbe  rendering  of  a  series  witb  tbe 
rising  inflection  and  tbe  nnempbatic  tone  of  indiffer- 
ence, or  witb  tbe  falling  inflection  and  tbe  empbasis  of 
feeling,  is  illustrated  by  tbe  following  : 

Tbe  one  witb  yawning  made  reply  : 
"  Wbat  bave  we  seen  ?     Not  much  bave  I  ! 
Trdes,  meadows,  mountains,  groves,  and  streams. 
Blue  sky,  and  clouds,  and  sunny  gldams." 

Tbe  otber,  smiling,  said  tbe  same ; 
But,  witb  face  transfigured  and  eye  of  flame  : 
"  Trees,  meadows,  moimtains,  groves,  and  streams, 
Blue  shy  and  cloiids  and  sunny  gleams  !  " 


102  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Rule  VII.  The  cadence,  or  falling  injlcclion  at  the 
end  of  a  sentence,  must  not  he  made  too  abruptly. 

The  closing  descent  in  tone  at  the  end  of  a  sentence 
falls  lower  than  the  falling  inflection  at  the  end  of  the 
propositions  that  make  up  a  compound  sentence,  and 
lower  than  the  slide  on  emphatic  words  or  clauses. 
The  longer  the  sentence,  the  more  marked  is  the  cadence. 
The  common  errors  in  cadence  are :  (1)  Dropping  the 
tone  suddenly  on  the  last  word  of  the  sentence.  (2) 
Falling  too  soon  in  the  sentence.  (3)  A  gradual  dimin- 
ishing in  force  towards  the  end  of  a  sentence,  so  that 
the  last  few  words  are  feebly  uttered.  (4)  A  monoto- 
nous sameness   of   inflection. 

The  difference  between  the  partial  falling  inflection  in 
the  body  of  a  sentence  and  the  cadence  at  the  close, 
must  be  illustrated  by  the  living  voice  of  the  teacher. 
Take  the  following  sentence  from  Addison  for  illus- 
tration : 

"  Our  sight  is  the  most  perfect  and  most  delightful 
of  all  our  senses.  It  fills  the  mind  with  the  largest 
variety  of  ideas,  converses  with  its  objects  at  the  great- 
est distance,  and  continues  the  longest  in  action  without 
being  tired  or  satiated  with  its  proper  enjhyments." 

Here  the  slide  on  "ideas  "  and  "  distance  "  is  the  partial 
falling,  say  the  falling  tliird,  wliile  the  cadence  on  "  enjoy- 
ment" runs  to  the  falling  fifth.  It  will  be  noticed,  also, 
that  the  voice  slides  upward  on  "  action,"  to  prepare  for 
the  cadence  at  the  close  of  the  sentence. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  I  have  done  my  dattj ;  I  stand  acquitted  to  my 
conscience  and  my  country ;  I  have  opposed  this  meas- 
ure throvyhbiit ;  and  I  now  protest  against  it,  as  harsh, 
oppressive,  nncMled  for,  unjust ;  as  establishing  an  infa- 
mous precedent,  by  retaliating  crime  against  crime;  as 
tyrannous — crudhj  and  mndletively  tyrannous. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  103 

2.    Ill  fares  the  laud,  to  hastening  ills  a  prey. 
Where  wealth  accumulates  and  men  decay : 
Princes  and  lords  may  flourish,  or  may  fade  — 
A  breath  can  make  them,  as  a  breath  hks  made ; 
But  a  bold  peasantry,  their  country's  pride. 
When  once  destroyed,  can  never  be  supplied. 

3.    God  of  the  earth's  extended  plains ! 

The  dark  green  fields  contented  lie : 
The  mountains  rise  like  holy  towers. 

Where  man  might  commune  with  the  sky; 
The  tall  cliff  challenges  the  storm 

That  lowers  upon  the  vale  below. 
Where  shaded  fountains  send  their  streams, 

With  joyous  music  in  their  flow. 

EuLES  FOR  Contrasted   Inflections. 

Rule  I.  When  negation  is  opposed  to  affirmation,  nega- 
tion has  the  rising,  and  affirmntion  the  falling  i'ujlcction. 
Contrasted  icords  are  emjihatic. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  He  did  not  call  you,  but  me. 

2.  He  called  you,  not  me. 

3.  He  called  neither  you  nor  me. 

4.  Man  ne^'er  is,  but  always  to  he  blest. 

5.      JOHN    HOWARD. 

He  visited  all  Eurojje — not  to  survey  the  sumptuous- 
ness  of  palaces,  or  the  stateliness  of  temples;  not  to 
make  accurate  measurements  of  the  remains  of  ancient 
grandeur,  nor  to  form  a  scale  of  the  curiosities  of  modern 
art,  nor  to  collect  medals,  or  collate  manuscripts;  but 
to  dive  into  the  depths  of  dungeons,  to  plunge  into  the 
infection  of  Jibspitals,  to  survey  the  mansions  of  sorrow 
and  pain;  to  take  tlie  gauge  and  dimensions  of  misery, 
depression,  and  contempt ;  to  remember  the  forgbtten,  to 


104  SCHOOL    ELOCUTIOX. 

attend  to  the  neglected,  to  visit  the  foraaken,  and  com- 
pare and  coDate  the  distresses  of  all  men  in  all  countries. 
His  plan  is  original ;  it  is  as  full  oi'  genius  as  of  ImmdLnity. 
It  was  a  voyage  of  cliscbvery — a  circumnavigation  of 
chiirity.  ^^^^^ 

Rule  II.  When  the  conjmiction  OE  connects  contrasted 
ivords  or  phrases,  it  is  jjrcccded  by  the  rising,  and  fol- 
lowed hy  the  falling  injlcction.  Contrasted  words  are 
cinphatic. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  Did  he  call  Jane  or  3Riry  ? 

2.  Is  this  book  yours  or  niine  ? 

3.  Siyik  or  swhn,  live  or  die,  suwine  or  perish,  I  give 
my  hand  and  my  heart  to  this  vote. 

4.  Do  we  mean  to  carry  on  or  to  give  lip  the  war  ? 
Requii-e  an  additional  example  from  each  pupil. 

Rule  III.  Contrast  or  antithesis  is  denoted  hy  ojyposite 
inflections  on  the  contrasted  ivords  of  a  sentence,  and  the 
contrasted  words  are  cmp)hatic. 

Pupils  should  be  cautioned  against  the  common  fault 
of  substituting,  in  cxam2)les  of  contrast,  the  circumflex 
inflections  for  the  direct  rising  and  falling  inflections. 
The  following  example  is  often  incorrectly  read  thus  : 

1.  In  the  one  we  most  admire  the  man;  in  the  other, 
the  work. 

It  should  be  read  as  follows : 

2.  In  the  6ne\fQ  most  admire  the  mdn ;  in  the  other, 
the  wbrlc. 

3.  Incorrect :   As  is  the  hcginning,  so  is  the  end. 

4.  Correct :   As  is  the  hcginning,  so  is  the  ^nd. 

5.  Incorrect :   What  we  gain  in  jjojver  is  lost  in  time. 

6.  Correct :   What  we  gain  in  power  is  lost  in  ihne. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  105 

The  circumflex  inflections  are  properly  applied  in 
cases  of  very  emphatic  contrast,  or  in  the  expression  of 
irony,  sarcasm,  wit,  and  humor. 

Selection  3,  at  the  end  of  this  chapter,  affords  good 
illustrations  of  contrasted  circumflex,  while  selections  1, 
2,  and  5  are  examples  of  the  use  of  the  direct  rising 
and  falling  inflections. 

"  A  fault  of  local  usage,  prevailing  throughout  New 
England,"  says  Prof,  liussell,  "  is  that  of  giving  all  em- 
phasis with  the  tone  of  the  circumflex.  It  is  a  tone 
incompatible  with  simplicity  and  dignity  of  expression, 
and  belongs  properly  to  irony  or  ridicule,  to  the  peculiar 
significance  of  words  and  phrases  embodying  logical  or 
grammatical  niceties  of  distinction,  or  to  the  studied  and 
peculiar  emphasis  which  belongs  to  the  utterance  of  a 
word  intended  to  convey  a  pun.  This  fault  Avould  be 
avoided  by  giving  emphasis  with  the  direct  inflection, 
instead  of  the  circumflex." 

EXAMPLES    OF    CONTRAST. 

1.  I  said  good,  not  had ;  virtuous,  not  vicious  ;  educated, 
not  illiterate. 

2.  He  spoke  for  education,  not  agdinst  it. 

3.   After  the  shower,  the  tranquil  sun; 
Silver  stdrs  when  the  day  is  done. 
After  the  snow,  the  emerald  leaves; 
After  the  harvest,  golden  sheaves; 
After  the  clouds,  the  violet  sky ; 
Quiet  luoods  when  the  winds  go  by. 
After  the  tempest,  the  lull  of  wdves ; 
After  the  battle,  peaceful  graves. 
After  the  knell,  the  wedding-helh ; 
Joyful  greetings  from  sad  farewells. 
After  the  hud,  the  radiant  rose; 
After  our  iceeping,  sweet  repbse. 


106  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

After  the  burden,  the  hlissful  mlcd ; 
After  the  f4rrow,  the  waking  seed. 

After  the  Jlight,  the  downy  nest ; 
Beyond  the  sliadowy  river — rest. 

4.  Thus  the  Puritan  was  made  up  of  tivb  different 
men :  the  6ne,  all  self-abasement,  pdnitence,  gratitude,  pas- 
sion ;  the  6ther,  proud,  calm,  inllfexible,  sagacious.  He 
prostrated  himself  in  the  dust  before  his  Maker;  but 
he  set  his  /hot  on  the  neck  of  his  king. 

5.       ROME   AND    CARTIi.VGE. 

The  catastrophe  of  this  stupendous  drama  is  at  hand. 
What  actors  are  m^t !  Two  races — that  of  merchants 
and  viarincrs,  that  of  Idhorers  and  soldiers;  tw6  nations 
— the  one  dominant  by  gold,  the  other  by  steel;  two 
republics — the  one  theocratic,  the  other  aristocratic.  Rome 
and  Cartilage  !  Il6me  witli  lier  army,  Ccirthage  with  her 
Jlect ;  Carthage,  did,  rich,  and  crafty — Rome,  young,  pbor, 
and  rohust ;  the  j^f^st,  and  the  future ;  tlie  spirit  of  dis- 
cdvery,  and  tlie  spirit  of  cmiquest ;  the  genius  of  cdmmcrce, 
the  demon  of  vxlr ;  the  East  and  the  South  on  dne  side, 
the  West  and  tbe  North  on  the  other;  in  sliort,  two 
vjorlds — the  civilization  of  Africa,  and  the  civilization  of 
Europe.  victor  iiugo. 

6.  I  have  always  preferred  cliccrfulness  to  mirth.  The 
hitter  I  consider  as  an  act,  the  fdrmer  as  a  hdhit  of  the 
mind.  Mirth  is  short  and  transient,  chccrfidness  fixed 
and  permanent.  Mirth  is  like  a  Hash  of  ligldning,  that 
breaks  through  a  gloom  of  clouds,  and  glitters  for  a 
moment;  cheerfulness  keeps  up  a  kind  of  daylight  in  the 
mind,  and    fills    it  with  a  steady  and  perpetual  scrhiity. 

7.       THK    ONK-IIOSS    SHAY. 

For  the  wheels  were  just  as  strong  as  the  tJnlls, 
And  the  floor  was  just  as  strong  as  the  Mis, 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  107 

And  tlie  imnch  just  as  strong  as  the  floor, 

And  the  tvhipplc-ty^QQ  neither  less  nor  more. 

And  the  hack  crossbar  as  strong  as  the  fore, 

And  spring,  and  axle,  and  hub  encore, 

And  yet,  as  a  whole,  it  is  past  a  doubt 

In  another  hour  it  will  be  worn  out !  holmes. 

8.       DUST   TO   DUST. 

"  Earth  to  earth,  and  dust  to  dust ! " 

Here  the  evil  and  the  just, 

Here  the  youthful  and  the  old. 

Here  the  fear  fid  and  the  hold, 

Here  the  matron  and  the  maid, 

In  one  silent  bed  are  laid  ; 

Here  the  vcissal  and  the  king 

Side  by  side  lie  withering ; 

Here  the  sword  and  scepter  rust — 

"  Earth  to  earth,  and  dust  t5  dust !  "     croly. 

9.       HUDIBRAS. 

He  was  in  logic  a  great  critic, 

Profoundly  skilled  in  analytic. 

He  could  distinguish  and^  divide 

A  hair  'twixt  south  and  south-west  side  ; 

On  either  whicli  he  would  dispute. 

Confute,  change  hands  and  still  confute. 

He  'd  undertake  to  prove  by  force 

Of  argument  a  mans  no  hdrse ; 

He  'd  prove  a  huzzard.  is  no  fdivl, 

And  that  a  lord  may  be  an  owl  ; 

A  calf  an  dlderman,  a  goose  a  jiistice. 

And  rooks  committee-men  and  triXstecs. 

He'd  run  in  debt  by  disputation, 

And  pa}''  with  ratiocination.  butler. 

10.       TACT   AND   TALENT. 

Take  them  into  the  cluirch.     Talent  has  always  some- 
thing worth  hearing,  tact  is  sure  of  abundance  of  hearers ; 


108  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

taleut  may  obtain  a  living,  tact  will  mdke  oue;  talent 
gets  a  good  name,  tact  a  great  one ;  talent  convinces,  tact 
converts;  taleut  is  an  honor  to  the  2y^'<^fcssion,  tact  gdins 
honor  from  the  profession.  Take  them  to  court.  Talent 
feels  its  weight,  tact  finds  its  wdg ;  talent  comvidnds, 
tact  is  obeyed;  talent  is  honored  with  approbation,  and 
tact  is  blessed  by  preferment. 


Rule  IV.     Direct  question'^  generally  require  the  rising 
inflection,  and  their  answers,  the  falling  inflection, 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  Have  you  studied  your  lesson  ?     Yfes. 

2.  Are  you  going  to  New  York  ?     K6. 

3.       OUR   COUNTPA'. 

Oh,  country,  marvel  of  the  ^arth  ! 

Oh,  realm  to  sudden  greatness  grown ! 
The  age  that  gloried  in  thy  birtli, 

Shall  it  behold  thee  overthrown  ? 
Shall  traitors  lay  that  greatness  low  ? 
1^0  /   Land  of  Hope  and  Bldssing,  Ndf 

Bryant. 
4.      THE   INQUIKY. 

Tell  me,  my  secret  soul, 

Oh,  tell  me,  Hope  and  Faith, 
Is  there  no  resting-place 

From  sorrow,  sin,  and  ddath  ? 
Is  there  no  happy  spot 

Where  mortals  may  be  bldssed, 
AVhere  grief  may  find  a  bdlm, 
And  weariness  a  rdst  ? 
Faith,  Hope,  and  Love — best  boons  to  mortals  given — 
Waved  their  bright  wings,  and  whispered  "  Yes,  in  heaven  ! " 

Mackav. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  109 

5.       FKOM    "  HAMLET." 

Hamlet.     Hold  you  the  vjdtch  to-night? 

Mar.  and  Bcr.     We  do,  my  lord. 

Hamlet.     Armed,  say  you  ? 

Mar.  and  Bcr.     Armed,  my  lord. 

Hamlet.     From  top  to  toe  ?- 

Mar.  and  -5er.     My  lord,  from  head  to  fbot. 

Hamlet.     Then  you  saw  not  his  fdce  ? 

Hor.     Oh,  yds,  my  lord;   he  wore  his  beaver  up. 

Hamlet.     What,  looked  he  froumingly  ? 

Hor.     A  countenance  more  in  sorroiv  than  in  anger. 

Hamlet.     Pale  or  red  ? 

Hor.     Nay,  very  imle. 

Hamlet.     And  fixed  his  eyes  upon  you  ? 

Hor.     Most  c6nstantly. 

Hamlet.     I  would  /  had  been  thdre. 

Hor.      It    would    have    much    amazed   you.        Shakespeare. 


III.     INFLECTIONS   OF   THE   PAEENTHESIS. 

Rule  I.  The  ivords  included  in  a  parenthesis,  or  be- 
tween ttvo  dashes  used  as  a  j^arenthesis,  and  any  phrase 
corresponding  in  effect  to  a  parenthesis,  are  read  with  the 
same  inflection  as  the  clause  immediately  preceding  them. 

"A  lower  and  less  forcible  tone,  and  a  more  rapid 
utterance,  than  in  the  other  parts  of  a  sentence,  together 
with  a  degree  of  monotony,  are  required  in  the  reading 
of  a  parenthesis.  The  form  of  parenthesis  implies  some- 
thing thrown  in  as  an  interruption  of  the  main  thought 
in  a  sentence.  Hence  its  suppressed  and  hurried  toue ; 
the  voice  seeming  to  hasten  over  it  slightly,  as  if  impa- 
tient to  resume  the  principal  object.  The  same  remark 
applies,  with  more  or  le"§s  force,  to  all  intervening 
phrases,   whether   in   the   exact  form   of    parenthesis   or 

I^f^t.  Russell. 


110  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  Uprightness  is  a  habit,  and,  like  all  other  habits, 
gains  strength  by  time  and  exercise.  If  then  we  Exer- 
cise npright  principles  (and  we  cannot  have  them,  unless 
we  exercise  thdni),  they  must  be  perpetually  on  the 
increase. 

2.  "  And  this,"  said  h6 — putting  the  remains  of  a 
crnst  into  his  wallet — "and  this  should  have  been  thp 
portion,"  said  hh,  "hadst  thou  been  alive  to  have  shared 
it  with  me." 

3.    To  my  mind — thougli  I  am  native  here, 
And  to  the  manner  born — it  is  a  custom 
More  honored  in  the  breach  than  the  observance. 

Shakespeare. 

Summary  of  Inflection. 

1.  The  stronger  the  emphasis,  the  longer  the  slides. 

2.  In  u7iimpassioned  reading,  the  emphasis  is  slight 
aiul  tlie  slides  are  short :  in  hold  and  dignified  composi- 
tion, the  emphasis  is  stronger  and  the  slides  are  longer: 
and  in  highly  impassioned  or  dramatic  reading,  the  em- 
phasis is  strongest  and  the  slides  are  longest. 

3.  The  general  principle  that  underlies  all  the  rules  of 
inficction  is  as  follows:  The  rising  inflection  in  general 
denotes  incompleteness  of  statement,  comimratircly  unim- 
portant statement,  interrogation,  or  negation ;  the  falling 
inflection  denotes  completed  or  emphatic  statement. 

Geneual  Inflection  Drill. 

1.  Sing  the  scale,  upward  and  downward. 

2.  Substitute  in  ])lace  of  the  note  names  the  long 
vocals,  thus  :   a,  e,  i,  o,  u,  a,  e,  5. 

3.  Sound    the    third,   lifth,   and   eighth    notes    of    the 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  Ill 

scale ;  then  substitute  for  the  note  names  the  following : 
e,  d,  00. 

4.  Give  the  long  vowel  sounds,  a,  e,  i,  5,  u,  (1)  with 
tlie  rising  "second;"  (2)  with  the  rising  "third;"  (3) 
with  the  rising  "  tilth ; "  (4)  with  the  rising  "  eighth." 

5.  Give  the  long  vowel  sounds,  a,  e,  I,  o,  u,  with  the 
falling  "  second,"  "  third,"  "  fifth,"  and  "  eighth." 

6.  Give  the  long  vowel  sounds,  a,  e,  T,  o,  ii,  with  the 
rising  wave  of  the  "  third ; "  of  the  "  fifth ; "  of  the 
"  octave ; "  the  falling  wave  with  the  same  degrees. 


IV.     THE   CIRCUMFLEX  INFLECTION". 

Tlie  circumflex,  or  wave,  is  a  combination  of  the  rising 
and  falling  inflections  on  the  same  word  or  sound. 

The  rising  circumflex  ends  with  the  rising  inflection, 
and  is  denoted  thus  (");  the  falling  circumflex  ends 
with  the  downward  slide,  and  is  marked  thus  (^). 

The  circumflex  is  more  emphatic  than  the  direct  rising 
and  falling  inflections.  The  circumflex  may  be  divided 
into  the  distinctive  and  the  emotional. 


1.    The  Distinctive  Circumflex  of  the  Third. 

The  distinctive,  or  unimpassioned,  circumflex  occurs 
when  the  voice  rises  or  falls  through  the  interval  of  the 
third.  It  is  the  characteristic  inflection  of  good-natured 
raillery,  of  humor,  and  of  wit.  It  is  used  in  express- 
ing a  pun,  or  a  play  upon  words.  It  expresses  a  double 
meaning,  or  a  double  relation.  It  carries  the  mind  back 
to  something  that  has  been  said,  or  forward  to  some- 
thing to  he  said.  This  form  of  circumflex  is  a  delicate 
wave  of  the  voice,  and  is  very  expressive ;  but  great  care 
should  be  taken  not  to  overdo  it.  Carried  to  excess, 
it  becomes  ridiculous. 


112  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

II.    IxFLECTiON  Drill. 

1.  Sound  the  long  vocals,  a,  e,  i,  o,  u,  with  the  slight 
rising  circumflex  of  tlie  third;  with  the  slight  falling 
circumflex. 

2.  Count  from  one  to  twenty,  with  the  slight  rising 
circumflex;  with  the  falling  wave  of  the  third.  I 

3.  It  is  n't  the  secret  I  care  about,  Mr.  Caudle.  It 's 
the  slight. 

4.  Do  you  hear  the  rain,  Mr.  Caudle  ? 

5.    When  lawyers  take  what  they  would  (jive, 
And  doctors  give  what  they  would  take. 

6.  I  should  do  Brutus  wrong,  and  Cassius  wrong. 
Who,  you  all  know,  are  honorahle  men. 

7.  Men,  indeed.!  call  tliemselves  lords  of  creation! 
Pretty  lords,  when  tliey  can't  even  take  care  of  an  urn- 
hrella  ! 

8.  Let  any  man  resolve  to  do  right  now,  leaving  th^n 
to  do  as  it  can;  and  if  he  were  to  live  to  the  age  of 
Methijbsclah,  he  would  never  do  wrong.  But  the  com- 
mon error  is  to  resolve  to  act  right  after  breakfast,  or 
after  dinner,  or  to-nwrroiu  morning,  or  nlxt  time.  But 
now,  just  now,  this  once,  we  must  go  on  the  sdme  as 
hver. 

III.     Emotional   Circumflex. 

The  emotional  circumflex  occurs  wlion  the  voice  rises 
or  falls  tlirough  an  interval  of  the  fifth  or  tlio  eiglith. 

It  is  the  wave  of  irony,  sarcasm,  scorn,  contempt, 
hatred,  revenge,  astonishment,  or  amazement.  It  is  the 
inflection  of  very  strong  em])hasis. 

The  rising  circumflex  occurs  where,  otherwise,  the 
direct  rising  inflection  would  be  used;  and  the  falling 
wave  where,  otherwise,  the  falling  slide  would  be  applied. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  113 

IV.     Inflection  Drill. 

1.  Sound  the  loDg  vocals,  a,  e,  I,  o,  u,  with  the  rising 
circumflex  of  the  fifth;  with  the  falling  circumflex. 

2.  Repeat,  five  times,  with  surprise,  the  words,  "  ah ! 
indeed!''  with  the  rising  circumfiex  of  the  fifth. 

3.  Gone  to  be  married!   gone  to  swear  2i  peace! 

4.  Hath  not  a  Jew  hands,  organs,  dimensions,  senses, 
affections,  loassions  ? 

5.  Eepeat,  with  irony  and  the  falling  wave  of  the 
fifth,  the  expression,  "I  tdld  you  s8." 

6.  Sound  the  long  vocals,  a,  e,  I,  5,  ii,  with  the  rising 
wave  of  the  eighth ;  the  falling  wave  of  the  eighth. 

7.  Eepeat,  five  times,  with  the  greatest  possible  aston- 
ishment, the  following  :  ah  !  indeed  !  is  it  true  ! 

8.  0  nohle  judge!    0  excellent  young  man! 

9.  M!   by  St.  Bride  of  Bothwell,  no! 

10.    Soars  thy  presumption  then  so  high, 
Because  a  wretched  Mm  ye  slew, 
Homage  to  name  to  Rocleridc  Dhu? 

V.     Examples  of  the  Distinctive  Circumflex. 

The  distinctive  circumflex  is  the  delicate  wave  of  the 
voice,  generally  of  the  rising  or  falling  third,  indicative 
of  mirth,  fun,  wit,  humor,  and  good-natured  raillery. 
In  the  following  examples,  be  careful  not  to  overdo  the 
inflection  or  the  emphasis. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.       THE    DEBTOR. 

A  dM)tor  is  a  man  of  mark.  Many  4yes  are  fixed  upon 
him ;  many  have  interest  in  his  well-being ;  his  move- 
ments are  of  concern;    he  can   not  disappear   unheeded; 


114  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

his  name  is  in  many  mouths;  his  name  is  upon  many 
hooks ;  he  is  a  man  of  note — of  promissory  note ;  he  fills 
the  speculdtion  of  many  minds ;  men  conjecture  about 
him,  wonder  about  him — wonder  and  conjecture  whether 
he  will  pdy.  He  is  a  man  of  consequence,  for  many  are 
riXnning  after  him.  His  door  is  thronged  with  diXns. 
He  is  inquired  after  every  hour  of  the  day.  Judges  hear 
of  him  and  know  him.  Every  meed  he  swdllows,  every 
coat  he  puts  upon  his  hdck,  every  dollar  he  borrows, 
appears  before  tlie  country  in  some  formal  document. 
Compare  Ids  notoriety  with  the  obscure  lot  of  the  cred- 
itor— of  the  man  who  has  nothing  but  claims  on  tlie 
world;  a  Idndlord,  or  fund-\\o\i\Qx,  or  some  sUch  disa- 
greeable, hard  character. 

2.  falstaff's  instinct. 
Why,  I  knew  ye  as  well  as  he  that  mdde  ye.  Why, 
hear  me,  my  masters:  was  it  for  me  to  kill  the  Mir- 
apparent  ?  Should  /  turn  upon  the  true  p)rince  ?  Why, 
thou  knowest  I  am  as  valiant  as  Hercides;  but  beware 
instinct ;  the  lion  will  not  touch  the  true  prince ;  instinct 
is  a  great  matter;  I  was  a  coward,  on  instinct.  I  sliall 
think  the  better  of  myself  and  thee  during  my  life;  / 
for  a  valiant  Ron,  and  thou  for  a  true  prince. 

3.  falstaff's  honor. 
How  then  1  Can  honor  set  a  leg  ?  No.  Or  an 
arm  ?  No.  Or  take  away  the  gi'uf  of  a  wound  ?  No. 
Honor  hath  no  skill  in  surgery,  then  ?  N8.  What  is 
honor  ?  A  word.  What  is  that  word  ?  Air.  A  trim 
reckoning!  Who  hdth  it?  He  that  died  o' Wednesday. 
Doth  he  feel  it  ?  No.  Doth  he  hear  it  ?  No.  Is  it 
insensible,  tlieu  ?  Yea,  to  the  dead.  But  will  it  not  live 
with  the  living  ?  No.  Why  ?  Detraction  will  not  suffer 
it ;  therefore  I  '11  nSne  of  it. — Honor  is  a  mere  'scutcheon 
— and  so  ends  my  catechism. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  115 

4,      PORTIA,    IN   THE   MERCHANT   OF  VENICE. 

If  to  do  were  as  easy  as  to  know  what  were  good  to 
do,  chapels  bad  been  churches,  and  poor  men's  cottages 
princes'  palaces.  It  is  a  good  divine  tbat  follows  his 
own  instvdctions.  I  can  easier  teach  twenty  what  were 
good  to  be  done  than  be  one  of  the  twenty  to  follow 
mine  own  tedching.  The  brain  may  devise  laws  for  the 
blood ;  but  a  hot  temper  leaps  over  a  cold  decree ;  such 
a  hare  is  madness,  the  youth,  to  skip  o'er  the  meshes 
of  good  counsel,  the  cripple.  But  this  reasoning  is  not 
in  the  fashion  to  choose  me  a  husband.  0  me  I  the 
word  choose  !  I  may  neither  choose  whom  I  would,  nor 
refuse  whom  I  dislike  ;  so  is  the  will  of  a  living  daughter 
curbed  by  the  will  of  a  dead  father.  Is  it  not  hard, 
Nerissa,  that  I  can  not  choose  one,  nor  refuse  ndne  ? 

5.      ROMEO   AND   JULIET. 

Jid.    Oh  !  swear  not  by  the  moon,  the  inconstant  moon 
That  monthly  changes  in  her  circled  orh ; 
Lest  that  thy  love  prove  likcvnse  variable. 

Ptom.    What  shdll  I  swear  by  ? 

Jul.    Do  not  swear  at  all; 
Or,  if  thou  ivilt,  swear  by  thy  gracious  self, 
Which  is  the  god  of  my  idolatry, 
And  I  '11  believe  thee. 

6.      NELLY   GRAY. 

O,  N'elly  Gray  !   0,  Nelly  Gray  ! 

Is  this  your  love  so  warm  ? 
The  love  that  loves  a  scarlet  coat 

Should  be  more  ilniform  !  Hood. 

7.      THE   witch's   DAUGHTER. 

Her  mother  only  killed  a  cow. 

Or  witclied  a  churn  or  dairy-pan  ; 

But  she,  forsooth,  must  charm  a  mdn.     whittle. 


116  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

8.  CONTENTMENT. 

Little  I  ask ;   my  wants  are  ftw : 

I  only  wish  a  hut  of  stone 
(A  veiy  plain  hrotvn  stone  will  do), 

That  I  may  call  my  own ; 
And  close  at  hand  is  such  a  one, 
In  yonder  street  that  fronts  the  sun. 

I  always  thought  cold  victual  nice. 
My  cMice  would  be  va7iilla-ice. 

I  only  ask  that  fortune  send 

A  little  more  than  I  can  sjjend.  holmes. 

9.  AUNT  TABITHA. 

Whatever  I  do,  and  whatever  I  say, 
Aunt  Tabitha  tells  me  that  is  n't  the  ivay. 
When  she  was  a  girl  (forty  summers  ago), 
Aunt  Tabitlia  tells  me  they  never  did  so. 

Holmes. 

VT.    Examples  of  Emotional  CircUxMFLex. 

The  emotional  circumflex  runs  into  the  fifth  and 
eighth,  and  requires  strong  emphasis.  This  form  of  the 
circumflex  is  expressive  of  sarcasm,  irony,  astonishment, 
revenge,  and  hatred. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.     FROM  Dickens's  "ciiuistmas  carol." 

"  Let  me  hear  another  sound  from  you,"  said  Scrooge, 
"  and  you  '11  keep  your  Christmas  by  losing  your  situa- 
tion. You  're  quite  a  powerful  speaker,  sir,"  lie  added, 
turning  to  his  nephew.  "  I  wonder  you  do  n't  go  into 
Pdrliament." 

2.       KING   JOHN. 

Tlwu  wear  a  Hon's  hide  ?     Doff  it  for  shdme, 
And  hang  a  edlf-skin  on  those  recreant  limbs. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  117 

3.       CORIOLANUS. 

Ileasureless  liar  !   thou  hast  made  my  heart 

Too  great  for  what  contains  it. 

£Sy !     Cut  me  to  pieces,  Volscians  ;  men  and  lads, 

Stain  dll  your  edges  on  me.     Boy  ! — 

If  you  have  writ  your  annals  true,  't  is  there 

That,  like  an  eagle  in  a  dovecot,  / 

Fluttered  your  Volscians  in  Corioli : 

Alune  I  did  it.     Boi/  ! 

4.      SHTLOCK. 

If  it  will  feed  nothing  llse,  it  will  feed  my  revenge. 
He  hath  disgraced  me,  and  hindered  me  of  lialf  a  mill- 
ioii ;  laughed  at  my  losses,  mocked  at  my  gains,  scorned 
my  ndtion,  thwarted  my  hdrgains,  cooled  my  friends, 
heated  my  enemies.  And  what 's  his  reason  ?  I  am  a 
Jew  !  Hath  not  a  Jew  eyes .?  Hath  not  a  Jew  hands, 
organs,  dimensions,  senses,  affections,  passions  ?  Is  he  not 
fed  with  the  same  food,  hurt  with  the  same  weapons, 
subject  to  the  same  diseases,  healed  by  the  same  means, 
warmed  and  cooled  by  the  same  summer  and  winter,  as 
a  Christian  is  ?  If  you  stab  us,  do  we  not  hleed  ?  If 
you  tickle  us,  do  we  not  laugh  ?  If  you  2^^ison  us,  do 
we  not  die  ?     And  if  you  ivrong  us,  shall  we  not  revenge  ? 

5.      SCHOOL  FOR  SCANDAL. 

Sir  Peter.  Very  well,  ma'am,  very  well ;  so  a  husband 
is  to  have  no  influence,  no  duthority  ? 

Lady  Teazle.  Authority !  No,  to  be  sure ;  if  you 
wanted  authority  over  me,  you  should  have  adopted  me, 
and  not  married  me  ;   I  'm  sure  you  were  old  enough. 

Sir  Peter.  Old  enough  !  ay,  there  it  Is.  Will,  v:ell. 
Lady  Teazle,  though  my  life  may  be  made  unliappy  by 
your  temper,  I  '11   not   be   ruined   by  your  extravagance. 

Lady  Teazle.  My  extravagance  !  Sir  Peter,  am  /  to 
blame  because  flowers  are  dear  in  cold  iveather  ?     You 


118  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

should  find  fault  with  the  climate,  and  not  with  me. 
For  my  part,  I  'm  sure,  I  wish  it  was  spring  all  the 
year  round,  and  that  roses  grew  under  our  feet. 

Sir  Peter.  Zounds  !  Madam,  you  had  no  taste  when 
you  married  me. 

Lady  Teazle.  That  's  very  true,  indeed,  Sir  P^ter ; 
and  after  having  married  you,  I  should  never  pretend  to 
taste  again,  I  allow. 

6.      OTHELLO. 

lago.     My  noble  lord- 


Othello.     What  dost  thou  say,  lago  ? 

lago.     Did  Michael  Cassio,  when  you  wooed  my  lady, 
know  of  your  love  ? 

Othello.     He   did,  from  first  to   last.     Why  dost  thou 
dsJc  ? 

lagn.     But  for  a  satisfaction  of  my  thought ; 
No  further  harm. 

Othello.     Why  of  thy  thought,  lago  ? 

lago.     I  did  not  think,  he  had  been  acquainted  with  her. 

Othello.     0  yds  ;   and  went  between  us  very  oft. 

lago.     Indeed  1 

Othello.     Indded  !   ^y,   indeed: — Discern'st   thou   aught 
in  tliat  1     Is  he  not  honest  ? 

lago.     Honest,  my  lord  ? 

Othello.     Ay,  honest. 

lago.     My  lord,  for  aught  1   know. 

Othello.     What  dost  thou  tlunk  1 

lago.      Tlunk,  my  lord  ? 

Othello.     Tlcink,  my  Idrd  ?     By  lieavens  !  he  echoes  me. 
As  if  there  were  some  monster  in  his  thought 
Too  hideous  to  be  shown.     Thou  dost  mean  something. 

7.       FROM    THE   "  HONEYMOON." 

Julia.     I  will  go  hu7ne  ! 

Duke.     You  are  at  home  already. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  119 

Julia.     I  '11  not  endiXre  it  1 — But  remember  this — 
Duke  or  no  duke,  I  '11  be  a  duchess,  sir ! 

Duke.     A  duehessf     You  shall  be  a  queen — to  all 
Who,  by  the  courtesy,  will  call  you  so. 

Julia.     And  I  will  have  attendance ! 

Duke.     So  you  shall, 
When  you  have  learned  to  wait  upon  yourself. 

Julia.     To  wait  upon  myself!     Must  I  bear  this? 

V 

Duke.     Excellent ! 
How  idell  you  sum  the  duties  of  a  ivife  ! 
Why,  what  a  Messing  I  shall  hdve  in  you ! 

Julia.     A  blessing  ? 

Duke.     When  they  talk  of  you  and  mg. 
Darby  and  Joan  shall  no  more  be  remembered : — 
We  shall  be  huirpy ! 

Julia.     Shall  we  ? 

Duke.      Wondrous  happy ! 
Oh,  you  will  make  an  admirable  wife ! 

Julia.     I  will  make  a  vixen. 

Duke.      What  ? 

Julia.     A  very  vixen. 

Duke.     Oh,  no  !     We  '11  have  no  vixens. 

Julia.     I  '11  not  bear  it ! 
I  '11  to  my  fdthcr's  !—  Tobin. 

V.     THE   MONOTONE. 

The  monotone  is  one  uniform  tone,  which  neither  rises 
nor  falls  in  pitch  above  or  below  the  general  level  of 
the  sentence.  It  is  a  continuous  flow  of  sound,  corre- 
sponding, in  some  degree,  to  the  chanting  tone  in  vocal 
music.  It  is  generally  associated  with  low  pitch  and  slow 
movement.  When  the  voice  is  under  the  influence  of 
awe  or  horror,  the  monotone  strikes  upon  the  ear  like 
the  recurring  pulsations  of  a  deep-toned  bell. 


120  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

The  monotone  is  the  natural  expression  of  voice  when 
the  feelings  are  under  the  influence  of  awe,  adoration, 
reverence,  sublimity,  grandeur,  or  horror. 

"  Grandeur  of  thougiit  and  sublimity  of  feeling,"  says 
Tower,  "are  always  expressed  by  this  movement.  The 
effect  produced  by  it  is  deep  and  impressive.  When 
its  use  is  known,  and  the  rule  for  its  application  is 
clearly  understood,  the  reading  will  be  characterized  by 
a  solemnity  of  manner,  a  grandeur  of  refinement,  and 
a  beauty  of  execution,  wliich  all  will  acknowledge  to  be 
in  exact  accordance  with  tlie  dictates  of  Nature,  and 
strictly  within  the  pale  of  her  laws." 

The  monotone,  one  of  the  most  effective  tones  in 
elocution,  must  not  be  confounded  with  monotony,  one 
of  the  worst  faults  in  school  reading. 

There  is  one  form  of  monotone,  prevailing  in  the 
poetry  of  sentiment,  that  is  not  combined  with  low  pitch. 
This  may  be  called  jwetic  monotone,  as  contrasted  with 
the  monotone  on  a  low  pitch,  which  may  be  termed 
g7'ave  monotone. 

In  poetic  monotone,  tlic  key  is  not  necessarily  lower 
than  the  middle  pitch,  though  there  is  always  something 
of  the  suppressed  force  of  pathos  and  sentiment.  In 
examples  of  the  poetic  monotone,  the  slight  or  suspen- 
sive rising  inflection  takes  the  place  of  monotone. 

I.     Inflection  Drill  on  the  Monotone. 

1.  Eepeat,  five  times,  the  long  vowel  sounds,  a,  e,  T,  6,  ii. 

2.  Count,  in  low  pitch  combined  with  monotone,  from 
one  to  twenty,  thus :   5ne,  two,  three,  etc. 

3.  Pioll  on,  thou  deep  and  dark  blue  ocean,  rdll! 
Ten  thdusand  fleets  sweep  over  thee  in  vain. 

4   An  ancient  time-piece  says  to  all — 
rSrever — never ! 

Never — fSrcver  ! 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION,  121 

II.    Examples  of  Poetic  Monotone. 

1.       FROM    POE's    "raven." 

Then,   methoiiglit,   the   air   grew   denser,  perfumed   from 

an  unseen  censer 
Swung    by    Seraphim,   whose    footfalls    tinkled    on    the 

tufted  floor. 
This  I  sat  engaged  in  guessing,  but  no  syllable  expressing 
To  the  fowl,  whose  fiery  eyes  now  burned  into  my  bosom's 

core  ; 
This  and  more    I    sat   divining,  with   my  head   at   ease 

reclining 
On    the    cushion's    velvet    lining    that    the     lamp-light 

gloated  o'er, 
But   whose    velvet    violet    lining    with    the    lamp-light 


gloating  o'er 


She  shall  press,  ah,  nevermore 


2.      FROM    "the   closing   .SCENE." 

Long,  but  not  loud,  the  droning  wheel  went  on, 

Like  the  low  murmur  of  a  hive  at  noon ; 
Long,  but  not  loud,  the  memory  of  the  gone 

Breathed  through  her  lips  a  sad  and  tremulous  tune. 
At  last  the  thread  was  snapped :    her  liead  was  bowed ; 

Life  dropped  the  distaff  through  his  hands  serene, — 
And  loving  neiglibors  smoothed  her  careful  shroud, 

While  Death  and  Winter  closed  the  autumn  scene. 

Read. 
3.      PASSING  AWAY. 

While  yet  I  looked,  what  a  change  there  came ! 

Her  eye  was  quenched,  and  her  cheek  was  wan ; 
Stooping  and  staffed  was  her  withered  frame. 
Yet  just  as  busily  swung  she  on. 
The  garland  beneath  her  had  fallen  to  dust: 
The  wheels  above  her  were  eaten  with  rust. 


122  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

The  hands,  that  over  the  dial  swept, 
Grew  crooked  and  tarnished,  but  on  they  kept; 
And  still  there  came  that  silver  tone 
From  the  shriveled  lips  of  the  toothless  crone — 
Let  me  never  forget,  to  my  dying  day, 
The  tone  or  the  burden  of  that  lay — 
*•'  Passing  away  I     Passing  away  !  " 

PlEKPONT. 

III.    Low,  OR  Grave,  Monotone. 

The  low,  or  grave,  monotone  is  pitched  on  the  lower 
notes  of  the  voice.  It  is  indicated  by  the  macrons 
placed  over  the  vowels : 

1.    Alexander's  feast. 
He  chose  a  mournful  miise, 
Soft  pity  to  infuse : 
He  sung  Darius  great  and  good, 

By  too  severe  a  late. 
Fallen,  fallen,  fallen,  iallen, 

Frdlen  from  his  high  estate, 
And  weltering  in  his  blood.  drtoen. 

2.      THE   SEA. 

Break,  break,  break. 

On  thy  cold  gray  stones,  0  Sea ! 
And  I  would  that  my  tongue  could  utter 

The  thoughts  that  arise  in  me. 

0  well  for  the  fisherman's  b5y, 

That  he  shouts  with  his  sister  at  play  I 

0  well  for  the  sailor  lad, 

That  lie  sings  in  his  boat  on  the  bay! 

And  the  stately  ships  g5  on 
To  their  haven  under  the  hill; 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  123 

But  0  for  the  touch  of  a  vanished  hand, 
And  tlie  sound  of  a  voice  that  is  still ! 

Break,  break,  break, 

At  the  foot  of  thy  crags,  0  Sea  ! 
But  the  tender  grace  of  a  day  that  is  dead 

Will  never  come  back  to  me.  tennyson. 

3.      DEATH. 

Leaves  have  their  time  to  fall, 
And  flowers  to  wither  at  the  north-wind's  breath, 

And  stars  to  set — but  all. 
Thou  hast  all  seasons  for  thine  own,  0  Death ! 

Hemans. 
4.      DRIFTING. 

From  the  strong  Will,  and  the  Endeavor 

That  forever 
Wrestles  with  the  tides  of  Fate ; 
From  the  wreck  of  Hopes  far  scattered, 

Tempest-shattered, 
Floating  waste  and  desolate ; — 

Ever  drifting,  drifting,  drifting 

On  the  shifting 
Currents  of  the  restless  heart ; 
Till  at  length  in  books  recorded. 

They,  like  hoarded 
Hoiisehold  words,  no  more  depart.       LoNorELLow 

5.       THE   BATTLE. 

Heavy  and  solemn, 

A  cloudy  column, 
Through  the  gi^een  plain  they  marching  came — 

Measureless  spread,  like  a  table  dread, 
For  the  wild,  grim  dice  of  the  iron  game. 


124  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Looks  are  bent  on  the  shaking  ground, 
Hearts  beat  low  with  a  knelling  sound ; 
Swift  by  the  breast  that  must  bear  the  brunt, 
Gallops  the  major  along  the  front. 

"Hctlt!" 
And  fettered  they  stand  at  the  stark  command, 
And  the  warriors,  silent,  halt.  scuiller. 

6.       THE    PRISONER   OF   CHILLOX. 

For  all  was  blank,  and  bleak,  and  gray; 

It  was  not  night — it  was  not  day; 

It  was  not  even  the  dungeon  light, 

So  hateful  to  my  heavy  sight — 

But  vacancy  absorbing  space. 

And  fixedness — without  a  place; 

There  were  no  stars — no  earth — no  time — 

No  check — no  change — no  good — no  crime — 

But  silence,  and  a  stirless  breath 

Which  neither  was  of  life  nor  dfeath : 

A  sea  of  stagnant  idleness — 

Blind,  boundless,  mute,  and  motionless.        byron. 

7.  What  this  grim,  ungainly,  ghastly, 
Gaunt,  and  ominous  bird  of  yore 
Meant  in  croaking  "  Nevermore." 

8.    To-raoiTow,  and  to-morrow,  and  to-morrow, 
Creeps  in  this  petty  pace  from  day  to  day, 
To  the  last  syllable  of  recorded  time ; 
And  all  our  yesterdays  have  lighted  fools 
The  way  to  dusty  dfeath.     Out,  out,  brief  candle ! 
Life 's  but  a  walking  shadow ;    a  poor  player, 
That  struts  and  frets  Ids  hour  upon  the  stage. 
And  tlien  is  lieard  no  more  :    it  is  a  tale 
Told  by  an  idiot,  full  of  sound  and  fury, 
Signifying  nothing. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  125 

9.      THE   OCEAN'. 

Thou  glorious  mirror,  where  the  Almighty's  form 

Glasses  itself  in  tempests  ;   In  all  time, 

Calm  or  convulsed,  in  breeze,  or  gale,  or  storm, 

Icing  the  pole,  or  in  the  t5rrid  clime 

Dark-heaving — boundless,  endless,  and  sublime  ; 

The  Image  of  Eternity — the  throne 

Of  the  Invisible  ;   even  from  out  thy  slime 

The  monsters  of  the  deep  are  made  ;   each  zone 

Obfeys  thee ;  thou  g5est  forth,  dread,  fathomless  alone. 

Byrox. 
10.      SONG   OF   THE   SHIRT. 

Work — w5rk — work  ! 
Till  the  brain  begins  to  swim  ; 

WSrk — work — work  ! 
Till  the  eyes  are  heavy  and  dim ! 
Seam,  and  gusset,  and  band. 

Band,  and  giisset,  and  seam. 
Till  over  the  biittons  I  fall  asleep, 

And  sew  them  on  in  a  dream  !         hood. 

11.      THE   GHOST   IN   HAMLET. 

Ghost.   I  am  thy  father's  spirit ; 
Doomed  for  a  certain  term  to  walk  the  night ; 
And,  for  the  day,  confined  to  fast  in  fires. 
Till  the  fijul  crimes,  dune  in  ray  days  of  nature, 
Are  biirnt  and  purged  away.     But  that  I  am  forbid 
To  tell  the  secrets  of  my  prison-huuse, 
I  c5uld  a  trde  unfold,  whose  lightest  word 
Wotild  harrow  up  thy  soul  ;   freeze  thy  young  blood ; 
Make  thy  tw5  eyes,  like  stars,  start  from  their  spheres  ; 
Thy  knotted  and  combined  locks  to  part, 
And  each  particular  hair  to  stand  on  end, 
Like  qiiills  upon  the  fretful  porcupine.  Shakespeare. 


126  school  elocution. 

Recapitulation  of  Inflections. 

1.  The  rising  inflection  is  the  slide,  of  ajJjJeal,  of  inquiry, 
of  incompleteness,  and  of  negation  contrasted  with  aflirma- 
tion. 

2.  The  falling  inflection  is  the  slide  of  assertion,  of  com- 
mand, and  of  complete  statement. 

3.  The  circumflex  is  the  wave  of  loit,  humor,  raillery, 
irony,  sarcasm,  satire,  and  revenge. 

4.  Tlie  monotone  is  the  tone  expressive  of  grandeur,  sub- 
limity, reverence,  awe,  amazement,  and  horror. 

Inflection  Dkill  Eeview. 

1.  Eepeat,  three  times,  the  long  vowel  sounds,  a,  e, 
i,  6,  u.  (1)  With  the  rising  second.  (2)  With  the  ris- 
ing third.  (3)  With  the  rising  fifth.  (4)  With  the  rising 
octave. 

2.  Repeat,  three  times,  a,  e,  I,  5,  u.  (1)  With  tlie 
falling  second.  (2)  With  the  falling  third.  (3)  With 
the  falling  fifth.     (4)  With  tlie  i'alling  eighth. 

3.  Repeat,  tliree  times,  with  tlie  same  degrees  of  in- 
flection as  above,  e,  a,  ji,  o,  o. 

4.  Repeat,  three  times,  a,  e,  T,  6,  u.  (1)  With  the 
rising  circumflex  of  the  third.  (2)  Fifth.  (3)  Octave. 
(4)  Falling  circumflex  of  the  third.  (5)  Falling  fifth. 
(6)  Falling  octave. 

5.  The  same  degrees  of  the  circumflex  as  above,  on 
e,  a,  ii,  5,  o. 

6.  Repeat,  three  times,  a,  e,  i,  o,  u,  with  the  low  mon- 
otone. 

7.  Repeat,  three  times,  e,  a,  a,  a,  6,  o,  with  the  low 
monotone. 


school  elocution.  127 

Inflection  Drill   on  Vocals, 
Read,  in  concert,  the  words  of  the  follovnng  Table : 

1.  With  the  rising  inflection. 

2.  With  the  falling  inflection. 

3.  With  the  rising  circumflex. 

4.  With  the  falling  circumflex. 

a,  e. — ale,  made,  braid,  gange,  veil,  play,  weight, 
a. — alms,  chart,  heart,  liiugh,  haunt,  aunt,  path. 
a,  6. — all,  awe,  law,  fall,  haul,  bawl,  -erawl,  ought, 
a. — add,  that,  brat,  hand,  land,  plaid,  bade, 
a. — air,  bare,  dare,  prayer,  there,  hair,  scarce. 
a — ask,  €ask,  task,  pass,  grass,  dance,  glance, 
a,  6. — what,  spot,  wad,  wand,  was,  watch,  wan. 
e. — eat,  beat,  beet,  thege,  seize,  freeze,  leave§. 
e. — end,  let,  threat,  get,  gem,  bread,  yet,  said, 
e,  1. — earth,  heard,  le.irn,  earn,  err,  third,  gird, 
e,  a. — they,  weigh,  nay,  neigh,  sleigh,  prey,  pray. 
1. — I(;;e,  Isle,  aisle,  wine,  height,  while,  rhyme. 
1. — ill,  it,  win,  thin,  been,  gin,  since,  zinc. 
T,  e. — mirth,  girl,  dirt,  verse,  terse,  worse,  world, 
i,  e. — pique,  clique,  €reek,  oblique,  ravine. 
5. — old,  tlioge,  groan,  force,  p5ur,  roar,  more, 
o. — odd,  on,  blot,  spot,  got,  god,  rod,  phlox, 
o,  00,  u. — move,  proof,  lo§e,  loose,  roof,  choose, 
o,  a. — or,  nor,  war,  for,  lord,  €ord,  fought,  -caught. 
6,  II. — done,  doth,  dost,  diist,  blood,  flood,  -eouie. 
9,  00,  11. — wolf,  would,  \vo6d,  could,  should,  good, 
u. — ii§e,  mute,  mu§e,  feud,  lieii,  view,  new,  tube, 
ii,  6. — lip,  biit,  hiit,  son,  blood,  giin,  diick,  some. 
11. — urge,  piirge,  surge,  curd,  urn,  burn,  chiirn. 
u,  00,  o. — rule,  s-ehool,  brute,  route,  wound,  rude. 
11,  00,  o. — put,  pull,  push,  bull,  wool,  wdf,  wood, 
oi,  oy. — oil,  toy,  boil,  -eoil,  roil,  joy,  boy,  cloy, 
ou,  ow. — out,  noun,  proud,  now,  how,  gout,  pout. 


123  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Examples  of  E.MniASis,   Tauses,  and  Inflection. 

1.       JOHN'   BUNYAX. 

Bunyan  |  is  almost  the  only  writer  ]  that  ever  gave  to 
the  ahstrdct  \  the  interest  of  the  concrete.  In  the  worlcs 
of  many  celebrated  autliors  [  men  are  mere  inrsonificdi- 
tions.  We  have  not  an  Othello,  but  jecdousi/ ;  not  an 
Idgo,  but  perfidy ;  not  a  Brutus,  but  i^atriotism.  The 
mind  of  Bunyan,  on  tlie  contrary,  was  so  imaginative  | 
that  personificdtions,  when  he  dealt  with  them,  became 
mhi.  A  dialogue  between  two  qualities,  in  his  dream, 
has  more  dramatic  effect  |  than  a  dialogue  between  two 
human  beings  \  in  most  pldys. 

The  style  of  Bunyan  |  is  delightful  to  every  reader, 
and  invaluable  [  as  a  study  |  to  every  person  |  who  wishes 
to  obtain  a  wide  command  over  the  English  language. 
The  vocdhulary  \  is  the  vocabulary  of  the  common  2^eople. 
There  is  not  an  expression,  if  we  except  a  few  technical 
terms  of  theology,  which  would  puzzle  the  rudest  i^^^c^sant. 
We  have  observed  several  pdges  j  which  do  not  contain 
a  single  ivbrd  \  of  more  than  tied  Ayllahles.  Yet  nd  writer 
I  has  said  more  exdetly  \  what  he  mhint  to  say.  For 
magnificence,  for  pathos,  for  vehement  exhortation,  for 
subtile  disquisition,  for  every  purpose  of  the  p(')et,  the 
orator,  and  the  divine,  this  homely  dialect,  the  dialect  of 
plain  ivdrlcingmcn,  was  perfectly  sufficient.  There  is  no 
book  in  our  lltercdurc  \  on  which  we  would  so  readily 
stake  the  fdme  \  of  the  old  unpolhited  Englisli  language; 
no  Jjool:  I  which  sliows  so  well  |  liow  licli  that  language 
is,  in  its  own  proper  wdalth,  and  how  little  it  has  been 
improved  \  by  all  tliat  it  has  hbrroivcd. 

Cowper  said,  fifty  or  sixty  years  ag('),  tliat  he  dared 
not  name  John  Bunyan  in  his  verse,  for  fear  of  moving 
a  snhr.  We  \  live  in  better  times  ;  and  we  are  not  afrdid  \ 
to  say,  that  though  there  were  many  clever  men  in 
England  I  during  the  latter  half  of  the  seventeenth  c^n- 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  129 

tury,  there  were  only  two  |  great  \  credtivc  \  minds.  One 
of  these  produced  the  "  Paradise  Lost,"  the  otlwr  \  the 
"Pilgrim's  I'rogress."  macaulay. 

2.      HYDER  ALL 

[77iis  extract  must  he  read  with  stronghj  marked  rising  and  falling 
wjlections.] 

Wliilst  the  authors  of  all  these  evils  |  were  idly  and 
stupidly  gazing  on  this  menacing  meteor,  which  black- 
ened all  the  iiorizon,  it  suddenly  hurst,  and  poured  down 
the  whole  of  its  contents  |  upon  the  plains  of  the  Car- 
natic.  Then  ensued  a  scene  of  woe,  the  like  of  which  | 
no  eye  j  had  seen,  no  hedrt  \  conceived,  and  which  no 
tongue  \  can  adequately  tell.  The  miserable  inhabitants, 
ilying  from  their  flaming  villages,  in  part  |  were  slaugh- 
tered;  others,  without  regard  to  sex,  to  age,  to  7'dnk,  or 
sacredness  of  function — fdthcrs  \  torn  from  cliildren,  Mis- 
hands  I  from  vnvcs — enveloped  in  a  whirlwind  of  cavalry, 
and  amidst  tlie  goading  spears  of  drivers,  and  the  tram- 
pling of  pursuing  horses,  were  swept  into  cdptivlti/,  in 
an  unkn('i\\u  and  hostile  land.  Those  who  were  able  to 
evade  this  tempest,  fled  to  the  walled  c\ties.  But,  escaping 
from  fire,  sivdrd,  and  exile,  they  fell  into  the  jaws  of 
famine. 

For  eighteen  months,  without  intermission,  this  desti'ue- 
tion  I  raged  |  from  the  gates  of  Mach-ds  \  to  the  gates  of 
Ta7ijbre;  and  so  completely  did  these  masters  in  their 
art,  Hyder  Ali,  and  his  more  ferocious  son,  absolve 
themselves  |  of  their  impious  v6w,  that  when  the  British 
armies  \  traversed,  as  they  did,  the  Carnatic  1  for  hun- 
dreds of  miles  in  all  directions,  through  the  whole  line 
of  their  march  they  did  not  see  one  \  man,  not  one  \  woman, 
not  6ne  \  child,  not  one  |  four-fdotcd  heast  \  of  any  descrij}- 
tion  I  whatever.  One  dead  |  iiniform  |  silence  |  reigned  ( 
over  the  M'hole  region.  bueke. 


130  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

3.   CONTRAST  OF  TACT  AND  TALENT. 

[This  extract  affords  a  good  illustration  of  distinctive  w  unimpassioned 
circumflex.] 

Talent  \  is  something,  but  tact  |  is  every  thing.  Talent  | 
is  serious,  sober,  grave,  and  respectable :  tact  |  is  all  tltat, 
and  more  too.  It  is  not  a  sixth  sense,  but  it  is  the  life 
of  all  the  five.  It  is  the  open  eye,  the  quick  ear,  the 
judging  taste,  the  keen  smell,  and  the  lively  touch;  it  is 
the  interpreter  of  all  riddles,  the  siirmoicnter  of  all  dlji- 
culties,  the  remover  of  all  obstacles.  It  is  useful  in  all 
places,  and  at  all  times;  it  is  useful  in  solitude,  for  it 
shows  a  man  into  the  world ;  it  is  useful  in  society,  for 
it  shows  him  his  way  |  through  the  world. 

Talent  \  is  jjoiver,  tact  \  is  sJdll ;  talent  \  is  weight,  tact  [ 
is  mo)nentum ;  talent  \  knows  luliat  to  do,  tiict  |  knows 
hoio  to  do  it;  talent  \  makes  a  man  respectable,  tact  |  will 
make  him  respected;  talent  is  vSealth,  tdct  |  is  ready 
money.  For  all  the  practical  purposes,  tdct  \  carries  it 
against  tdlent  \  ten  to  one. 

Take  them  to  the  theater,  and  put  them  against  each 
other  on  the  stage,  and  tdlent  \  sliall  produce  you  a 
tragedy  that  shall  scarcely  live  long  enougli  to  be  con- 
demned, while  tdct  \  keeps  the  house  in  a  roar,  niglit 
after  night,  with  its  successful  farces.  There  is  no  want 
of  dramatic  tdlent,  there  is  no  want  of  dramatic  tdct; 
but  they  are  seldom  togUher :  so  we  have  successful 
pieces  1  which  are  not  respectable,  and  resjJ^ctable  pieces  j 
which  are  not  successful. 

Take  them  to  the  bar,  and  let  them  shake  their  learned 
curls  at  each  other  in  l^gal  rivalry;  tdlent  |  sees  its  way 
clearly,  but  tdct  \  is  first  at  its  journey's  end.  Tdlent  \ 
has  many  a  compliment  from  the  bdncli,  but  tdct  |  touches 
fees.  Tdlent  makes  tlie  world  wonder  tliat  it  gets  on 
nofdstcr,  tdct  |  arouses  astcuiishment  |  that  it  gets  on  so 
fast.  And  the  secirt  is,  that  it  lias  no  ivrig/it  to  carry; 
it  makes  no  false   st^ps ;   it   hits   the   riglit   nail  on  the 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  131 

head;  it  loses  no  time;  it  takes  all  hints;  and  by  keep- 
ing its  eye  on  the  weather-cock,  is  ready  to  take  advantage 
of  every  wind  that  blows. 

Take  them  into  the  church  :  talent  |  has  always  some- 
thing worth  hearing,  tact  \  is  sure  of  abundance  of  hear- 
ers ;  talent  \  may  obtain  a  living,  tact  will  make  one ; 
talent  \  gets  a  good  name,  tact  \  a  great  one ;  talent  |  con- 
vinces, tact  I  converts ;  talent  \  is  an  honor  to  the  pro- 
fession, tact  I  gains  honor  |  from  the  profession. 

Take  them  to  cmtrt :  talent  \  feels  its  weight,  tact  | 
finds  its  v'dg ;  talent  \  convmaiuls,  tact  \  is  obeyed;  tal- 
ent I  is  honored  with  approbation,  and  tact  |  is  blessed 
by  preferment.  Place  them  in  the  senate:  talent  \  has 
the  ear  of  the  house,  but  tact  |  wins  its  heart,  and  has 
its  votes;  talent  \  is  fit  for  employment,  but  tact  \  is 
fitted  for  it.  It  has  a  knack  |  of  slipping  into  place 
with  a  sirect  silence  and  glibness  of  movement,  as  a  bill- 
iard-hdiVi  insinuates  itself  into  the  pocket. 

It  seems  to  know  'ivery  thing,  without  learning  dny 
thing.  It  has  served  an  extemporary  a2Jpr entices! dp ;  it 
wants  no  drilling  ;  it  never  ranks  in  the  dwkward  squad ; 
it  has  no  left  hand,  no  deaf  ear,  no  blind  side.  It  puts 
on  no  look  of  ivondrous  wisdom,  it  has  no  air  of  profun- 
dity, but  plays  with  the  details  of  place  |  as  dexterously 
as  a  well-taught  hand  \  flourishes  over  the  keys  of  the 
piano-forte.  It  has  all  the  air  of  commonplace,  and  all 
the  force  and  power  of  genius.  London  Atias. 

4.      THE   PURIT.VXS. 

[Afarked  for  emphasis,  inflection,  and  rhetorical  pa^ises.  Bequirc  the 
class  to  give  the  reasons  for  the  viarking.  To  be  read  with  strongly 
marked  emphasis  and  in  flections. '\ 

We  would  speak  first  of  the  Puritans,  the  most 
remarkaljle  body  of  men,  perhaps,  which  the  world  has 
ever  produced.  The  ddioiis  and  ridicidous  parts  of  their 
character  |  lie  on  the  surface.     He  that  riins  \  may  rhad 


132  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

tliera ;  nor  have  there  been  wanting  |  attentive  and 
malicious  observers  |  to  point  them  out.  For  many  years 
after  the  liestoration,  they  were  the  theme  |  of  unmeas- 
ured invective  and  derision.  They  were  exposed  |  to  the 
utmost  licentiousness  of  the  press  \  and  of  the  stdgc,  at 
the  time  when  the  press  and  the  stage  |  were  most  licen- 
tious. They  were  nbt  men  of  Utters ;  tliey  were  \  as  a 
\)oi}iy  \  vnipopnlar ;  they  could  not  defend  themselves; 
and  the  public  \  would  not  take  them  |  under  its  protec- 
tion. They  were  therefore  abandoned  |  without  reserve  \ 
to  the  tender  mdrcies  |  of  the  satirists  and  dramatists. 
The  ostentatious  simplicity  of  their  dr4ss,  their  sour 
dspject,  their  nasal  tivdng,  their  stiff  pdsture,  their  long 
grdces,  their  Hchrew  ndmes,  the  scriptural  pJirdscs  which 
they  introduced  on  every  occdsion,  their  contempt  of 
human  learning,  their  detestation  of  polite  amusements, 
were  indeed  fair  game  for  the  laughers.  But  it  is  not 
from  the  laughers  alone  |  that  the  j>>/ti7J-:iOjj7i//  of  history  \ 
is  to  be  learned.  And  he  who  approaches  this  subject  [ 
should  carefully  guard  against  the  influence  |  of  that 
potent  ridicule  \  which  has  already  misled  so  many  ex- 
cellent writers. 

Those  who  roused  the  people  to  resistance,  who 
directed  their  measures  through  a  long  series  of  event- 
fid  years,  who  formed,  out  of  the  most  unpromising 
materials,  the  finest  drmii  \  that  Europe  had  ever  seen, 
who  trampled  down  Jcing,  Church,  and  aristdcracy,  who, 
in  the  short  intervals  of  domestic  sedition  and  rebellion, 
made  the  name  of  England  |  terrible  to  every  nation  on 
the  face  of  the  earth,  were  no  vulgar  fanatics.  Most  of 
their  absurdities  |  were  mere  ^.tternal  badges,  like  the 
signs  of  freemasonry,  or  the  dresses  of  friars.  We  re- 
gret 1  that  these  badges  |  were  not  more  attractive.  We 
regrU  \  that  a  b(')dy  |  to  whose  courage  and  talents  |  man- 
kind has  owed  incstimcdjlc  obligdtions  |  had  not  the  lofty 
elegance  \  which  distinguished  some  of   the    adherents   of 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  133 

Charles  I.,  or  the  easy  good  hrecding  \  for  which  the 
court  of  Charles  ll.  was  celebrated.  But,  if  we  must 
make  our  choice,  we  shall,  like  Bassauio  in  the  play, 
turn  from  the  specious  caskets,  which  contain  only  the 
death's  head  and  the  fooVs  head,  and  fix  our  choice  |  on 
the  plain  leaden  chest  |  which  conceals  the  treasure. 

The  Puritans  \  were  men  |  whose  minds  |  had  derived 
a  ^JX'mZta?'  character  \  from  the  daily  contemplation  |  of 
superior  Mings  \  and  eternal  interests.  Not  content  \  with 
acknowledging,  in  general  terms,  an  overriding  Frdvi- 
dence,  they  habitually  ascribed  evcrg  event  \  to  the  will 
of  tlie  Great  Being,  for  whose  poivcr  \  nothing  was  too 
vast,  for  whose  inspection  \  nothing  was  tdo  minute.  To 
hibio  ]iim,  to  serve  him,  to  enjoy  him,  was  with  them  [ 
the  great  end  of  existence.  They  rejected  with  con- 
tempt I  the  ceremonious  homage  |  which  other  sects  | 
substituted  for  the  pure  ivdrship  of  the  soul.  Instead 
of  catching  occasional  glimpses  of  the  Deity  |  through 
an  obscuring  veil,  they  aspired  to  gaze  full  |  on  the 
intdlerahle  hrlghtncss,  and  to  commune  with  him  |  fdee 
to  face.  Hence  originated  |  their  contempt  \  for  terres- 
trial distinctions. 

The  difference  between  the  greatest  and  the  meanest 
of  mankind  |  seemed  to  vanish,  when  compared  with  the 
boundless  interval  j  which  separated  the  whole  race  \  from 
him  I  on  whom  their  Swn  eyes  |  were  constantly  fixed. 
They  recognized  no  title  to  superiority  |  but  his  favor ; 
and,  cdnfidcnt  of  that  favor,  they  despised  all  the  accdvi- 
plishments  \  and  all  the  dignities  of  the  icbrld.  If  they 
were  unacquainted  with  the  works  of  2>^^'^l^sop)hcrs  and 
pdcts,  they  were  decpbj  read  \  in  the  oracles  of  God.  If 
their  names  were  not  found  in  the  registers  of  heralds, 
they  felt  assured  that  they  were  recorded  in  the  Book 
of  Life.  If  their  steps  were  not  accompanied  by  a 
splendid  train  of  menials,  legions  of  ministering  angels  \ 
had   charge   over   them.     Tlieir   p)dlaces    \  were    houses  | 


134  SCHOOL  j:locution. 

not  made  with  hands,  their  diadems  \  crowns  of  gl^rtj  \ 
which  sliould  never  fade  aiuay. 

On  the  rieh  and  the  eloquent,  on  ndhles  and  2:)Hests, 
they  looked  down  with  conthiq^t ;  for  they  esteemed 
themselves  |  rich  in  a  more  2>reeious  treasure,  and  eloquent 
in  a  mo7'e  sublhne  language,  nobles  \  by  the  right  of  an 
earlier  ereation,  and  priests  |  by  the  imposition  |  of  a 
mightier  hdml.  Tlie  very  meanest  of  them  |  was  a  heing  \ 
to  whose  fate  |  a  mysterious  and  terrible  importance  \  be- 
longed— on  whose  slightest  actions  \  the  spirits  of  light 
and  darkness  \  looked  with  anxious  interest — who  had 
been  destined,  before  heaven  and  earth  were  created,  to 
enjoy  a  felicity  \  which  should  continue  |  when  heaven 
and  darth  |  should  have  passed  away.  Events  \  which 
short-sighted  politicians  |  ascribed  to  earthly  causes  ]  had 
been  ordained  on  Ids  account.  For  his  sake  |  empires 
had  risen,  and  flourished,  and  decayed.  For  his  sake  ) 
the  Almighty  \  had  proclaimed  his  will  |  by  the  pen  of 
the  evangelist  |  and  the  harp  of  the  pro|)het.  He  had 
been  rescued  by  no  common  deliverer  |  from  the  grasp  | 
of  no  common  foe.  He  had  been  ransomed  |  by  the 
sweat  of  no  viilgar  agony,  by  the  blood  of  no  earthly 
sacrifice.  It  was  for  him  \  that  the  sim  |  had  been  dark- 
ened, that  the  rbcls  \  had  been  rent,  and  the  dead  had 
arisen,  that  all  nature  \  had  shuddered  at  the  suflerings  | 
of  her  expiring  God  ! 

Thus  the  Piiritan  \  was  made  up  |  of  ticb  different 
men,  the  one  \  all  s,(d\^-abciscmcnt,  ^JcvjzYcTice,  grdtitudc, 
passion;  the  other  \  proud,  calm,  inflexible,  sagacious. 
He  prostrated  himself  in  the  ddst  before  his  Maker ; 
but  he  set  his  foot  |  on  tlic  neck  of  his  king.  In  his 
devbtional  retirement,  he  prayed  with  convixlsions,  and 
groans,  and  thtrs.  He  was  hcdf-maddcned  by  gldrious  \ 
or  thrible  illijusions.  He  heard  the  lyres  of  dngels  \  or 
the  tempting  whispers  of  Jihids.  He  caught  a  gleam  of 
the   BecUific  Vision,  or  woke  scrkiming  \  from  dreams  of 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  135 

everldstmg  fire.  Like  Vane,  he  thought  himself  intrusted 
with  the  scepter  |  of  the  millennial  year.  Like  Fleet- 
wood, he  cried  in  the  bitterness  of  his  soul  |  tliat  God  \ 
had  hid  his  fd,ce  from  him.  But  when  he  took  his 
seat  in  the  council,  or  girt  on  his  sword  for  ^cd'r,  these 
tempestuous  workings  of  the  soul  |  had  left  nd  pcrceiMhle 
trace  behind  them.  People  who  saw  nothing  of  the 
gddly  \  but  their  uncouth  visages,  and  heard  nothing 
from  them  |  but  their  groans  |  and  their  ivliining  hymns, 
might  laugh  at  them.  But  those  had  little  reason  to 
laugh  I  who  encountered  them  \  in  the  hall  of  debate  | 
or  in  the  field  of  battle. 

These  fandtics  \  brought  to  civil  and  military  afi'airs  ] 
a  coolness  of  judgment  \  and  an  immutability  of  ^^ur- 
'pose  I  which  some  writers  have  thought  |  inconsistent 
with  their  religious  zeal,  but  which  were,  in  fact,  the 
necessary  effects  of  it.  The  intensity  of  their  feelings 
on  6ne  subject  |  made  them  trctnquil  \  on  every  other. 
One  overpdtvering  sentiment  \  had  subjected  to  itself  |  pity 
and  hatred,  ambition  and  ffear.  Death  \  had  lost  its  ter- 
rors, and  |j/easz«'g  |  its  chcirms. 

They  had  their  smiles  \  and  their  tears,  their  raptures  j 
and  their  sorrov:s,  but  not  \  for  the  things  of  this 
world.  Enthusiasm  [  had  made  them  stoics,  had  cleared 
their  minds  from  every  vulgar  passion  and  prejudice, 
and  raised  them  above  the  influence  of  danger  and 
of  corruption.  It  sometimes  might  lead  them  to  pur- 
sue unwise  ends,  but  never  to  choose  unwise  means. 

They  went  through  the  world  |  like  Sir  Artegale's  iron 
man  Talus  with  his  flail,  crushing  and  trampling  down 
oppressors,  mingling  with  human  brings,  but  having 
neitlier  part  nor  lot  |  in  kdm.an  infirmities;  insensible 
to  fatigue,  to  pleasure,  and  to  pain;  not  to  be  pierced 
by  any  weapon,  not  to  be  withstood  by  any  hhrricr. 

MACAnLAY. 


136  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

5.      THE   IIIGHT   TO  TAX   AMERICA. 

"  But,  Mr.  Speaker,  we  have  a  right  to  tax  America." 
Oh,  inestimable  right !  Oh,  ivunderfal,  transcendent  right ! 
the  assertion  of  which  has  cost  this  country  thirteen 
provinces,  six  \slands,  one  hundred  thdusand  lives,  and 
seventy  millions  of  mbncy !  Oh,  invaluable  right !  for 
the  sake  of  which  we  have  sacrificed  our  rank  aiming 
nd,tions,  our  importance  abroad,  and  our  liappiness  at 
home. 

Oh,  right,  more  dear  to  us  than  our  existence,  which 
has  already  cost  us  so  mucli,  and  which  seems  likely  to 
cost  us  our  all  !  Infatuated  man  !  miserable  and  undone 
country !  not  to  know  that  the  claim  of  riglit,  without 
the  power  of  enforcing  it,  is  nugatory  and  idle.  We  have 
a  right  to  tax  America,  the  noble  lord  tells  us,  tlierefore 
we  ought  to  tax  America.  This  is  the  profound  logic 
wliich  comprises  the  whole  cliain  of  his  reasoning. 

Not  inferior  to  this  was  the  wisdom  of  him  who 
resolved  to  shear  the  z^-o//.  WMd — shear  a  wolf  !  Have 
you  considered  the  resistance,  the  difficulty,  the  danger, 
of  the  attempt  ? 

NS,  says  the  madman,  T  have  considered  nothing  but 
the  right.  Man  has  a  right  of  dominion  over  the  beasts 
of  the  forest ;  and,  tlierefore,  I  will  shear  the  wSlf. 
How  vjonderful  that  a  nation  could  be  thus  deluded,  ! 
But  the  noble  lord  cUals  in  cheats  and  delusions.  They 
are  the  daily  trcijjic  of  his  invention ;  and  he  will  con- 
tinue to  play  off  his  cheats  on  this  house,  so  long  as 
he  thinks  them  necessary  to  his  purpose,  and  so  long 
as  lie  has  money  enough  at  command  to  bribe  gentle- 
men to  pretend  that  they  believe  him. 

But  a  black  and  bitter  day  of  reckoning  will  surely 
cbme ;  and  whenever  that  day  cdmcs,  I  trust  I  shall  be 
able,  l)y  a  parliamentary  impeachment,  to  liring  uj-ton  the 
heads  of  the  duthors  of  our  calamities  the  punishment 
they  deshrve.  burke. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  137 


Spake  full  well,  in  language  quaint  and  olden, 

One  who  dwelleth  by  the  castled  RMne, 
When  he  called  the  fidiucrs,  so  blue  and  golden, 
SUirs,  that  in  earth's  firmament  do  shine. 

Stars  they  d.re,  wherein  we  read  our  history. 

As  astrologers  and  seers  of  eld ; 
Yet  not  so  wrapped  about  with  awful  mystery, 

Like  the  burning  stars  which  they  beheld. 

"VVoudrous  truths,  and  indnifold  as  ivondrous, 
God  hath  written  in  those  stars  above ; 

But  not  less  \  in  the  bright  flowerets  under  us  | 
Stands  the  revelation  of  His  love. 

Bright  and  glorious  |  is  that  revelation 
Writ  all  over  this  great  icbrld  of  ours ; 

Making  evident  our  own  creation  | 

In  these  stars  of  earth — these  golden  flowers. 

And  the  Poet,  faithful  and  i'ar-sdeing. 
Sees,  alike  in  stars  and  floioers,  a  part  | 

Of  the  self-same,  universal  being. 

Which  is  throbbing  |  in  his  hrdin  and  hhirt. 

Gorgeous  floiocrets  in  the  sunlight  shining  ; 

Blossoms  I  flaunting  in  the  eye  of  day  ; 
Tremulous  leaves,  with  soft  and  silver  lining; 

Buds  I  that  open  |  only  to  decay ! 

Brilliant  hopes,  all  woven  in  gorgeous  tissues, 
Flaunting  gayly  in  the  golden  liglit ; 

Large  desires,  with  most  uncertain  issues ; 
Tender  wisJies  \  blossoming  at  night ! 

These  in  flowers  and  men  |  are  more  than  sdeming; 
Workings  |  are  they  [  of  the  self-same  powers, 


138  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Which  the  Poet,  iu  no  idle  dreaming, 
Seeth  iu  himself,  and  in  the  Jlhiccrs. 

Everywhere  about  us  |  are  they  glowing — 
Some  like  stars,  to  tell  us  Spring  is  born ; 

Others,  their  blue  eyes  [  with  tears  o'erflowing. 
Stand  like  Ruth  \  amid  the  golden  corn; 

Not  alune  j  in  Spring's  armorial  bearing, 
And  in  Summer's  |  green  emblazoned  field, 

But  in  arms  |  of  brave  old  Autumn's  wearing, 
In  the  center  |  of  his  brazen  shield ; 

Not  alone  in  meadows  |  and  green  alleys, 
On  the  mountain-top,  and  by  the  brink  | 

Of  sequestered  pools  |  in  woodland  valleys, 
Where  the  slaves  of  nature  j  stoop  to  drink  ; 

Not  almie  in  her  vast  dome  of  glory, 
Not  on  graves  of  bird  and  heast  alone, 

But  on  old  cathedrals  \  high  and  hoary, 
On  the  tomb  of  heroes,  carved  in  stone; 

In  the  cottage  of  the  rudest  peasant, 

In  ancestral  homes,  whose  crumbling  towers, 

Speaking  of  the  Fast  \  unto  the  Present, 
Tell  us  of  the  ancient  Games  of  Flowers; 

In  all  places,  then,  and  in  all  seasons. 

Flowers  expand  their  light  and  soul-like  wings, 

Teaching  us,  l)y  most  persuasive  reasons, 
How  akin  they  are  |  to  human  things. 

And  with  child-like,  credulous  affection. 
We  behold  their  tender  buds  expand  ; 

Emblems  of  our  own  rprat  resurrection. 
Emblems  ]  of  the  l)riglit  |  and  better  Idind. 

Longfellow. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  139 


THE   SEVEN   AGES    OF   MAN. 


All  the  world's  a  stage, 
And  all  the  men  and  women  merely  lolayers: 
They  have  their  exits  and  their  entrances; 
And  one  mdn  in  his  time  plays  many  'parts, 
His  dels  being  seven  ttges.     At  first,  the  Infant, 
Mewling  and  puking  in  the  nurse's  arms. 
And  then,  the  whining  Scliool-boy,  with  his  satchel, 
And  shining  morning  face,  creeping  like  snail 
Unwillingly  to  school.     And  then,  the  Lover, 
Sighing  like  furnace,  with  a  woful  ballad 
Made  to  his  mistress'  eyebrow.     Then  a  Soldier, 
Full  of  strange  oaths,  and  bearded  like  the  pdrd, 
Jealous  in  libnor,  sudden  and  quick  in  quarrel, 
Seeking  the  bubble  reputdtion 

Even  in  the  cannon's  mouth.     And  then,  the  Justice, 
"With  eyes  severe,  and  beard  of  formal  cut, 
Full  of  wise  saws  and  modern  Instances; 
And  so  he  plays  liis  part.     The  sixth  age  shifts 
Into  tlie  lean  and  slippered  Pantaloon, 
With  spectacles  on  ndse,  and  pouch  on  side; 
His  youthful  hose,  well  saved,  a  world  too  wide 
For  his  shrunk  shank ;  and  his  big  manly  vdice, 
Turning  again  toward  childish  ti^eble,  ^9^j^es 
And  whistles  in  his  sbund.     Last  scene  of  all, 
That  ends  this  strange  eventful  history. 
Is  second  childishness  and  mere  oUlvion, 
Sans  teeth,  sans  eyes,  sans  tdste,  sans  everything. 

Shakespeare. 


8.      T^TTRrAL   OF   SIR  JOHN   MOORE. 

Not  a  drmn  \  was  heard,  not  a  funeral  nbte. 
As  his  corse  |  to  the  rdimpart  \  we  hurried ; 

Not  a  sbldier  \  discliarged  his  farewell  shbt 
O'er  the  ";rave  I  where  our  hero  I  we  buried. 


140  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

We  buried  liim  darkly,  at  dead  of  night, 

The  sods  with  our  hiiyonets  turning ; 
By  the  struggling  moonbeam's  misty  light, 

And  the  lantern  \  dimly  burning. 

No  useless  cdjffin  \  inclosed  his  breast, 

Not  in  sMet  \  nor  in  shroud  \  we  wound  him; 

But  he  lay  |  like  a  warrior  taking  his  rest  \ 
With  his  martial  cloak  \  around  him. 

F^w  and  short  |  were  the  prayers  we  said, 

And  we  spoke  not  a  word  of  sorrow, 
But  we  steadfastly  gazed  on  the  face  of  tlie  dead, 

And  we  hiiterhj  thought  of  the  morrow. 

We  thought,  as  we  hollowed  his  narrow  bdd, 

And  smoothed  down  his  louely  pillow, 
That  the  foe  and  the  stranger  |  would  tread  o'er  his  hdad, 

And  w6  I  far  away  on  the  billow  ! 

Lirjhtly  they  '11  talk  of  the  spirit  that 's  gone, 
And  o'er  his  cold  ashes  |  upbraid  him, — 

But  nothing  he  '11  reck,  if  they  let  him  sleep  on  | 
In  the  grave  |  where  a  Briton  \  has  laid  liim. 

But  hb.lf  I  of  our  heavy  task  |  was  done  | 

When  the  clock  |  struck  tlie  hour  for  retiring; 

And  we  heard  the  distant  and  random  gun  \ 
That  the  foe  |  was  sullenly  firing. 

Slowly  and  sadly  |  we  laid  him  down. 

From  the  field  of  his  fame  |  fresh  and  gory ; 

We  carved  not  a  line,  and  we  raised  not  a  stone. 
But  left  him  j  alone  witn  his  gioi}'. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  141 


CHAPTER  11. 

FORCE    AND    STRESS. 


SECTION   I. 
FORCE    OF   VOICE. 

1.  Force  of  utterance  relates  to  the  degree  of  loudness 
or  intensity  of  voice. 

2.  The  three  main  divisions  of  force  are  soft,  moderate, 
and  loud.  These,  for  convenience,  may  be  subdivided 
as  follows :  (1)  Very  soft  (corresponding  to  pianissimo 
in  music).  (2)  Soft  {piano).  (3)  Moderate  {mezzo-forte). 
(4)  Loud  {forte).     (5)  Very  loud  {fortissimo). 

3.  The  general  rule  of  force  is,  to  read  with  an 
intensity  appropriate  to  the  thoughts  or  emotion  to 
be  expressed,  and  with  a  power  or  strength  of  voice 
sufficient  to  fill  the  room,  so  that  every  person  in  it 
may  hear  distinctly  every  word  that  is  uttered. 

4.  Force  of  voice  must  be  stronger  in  the  school- 
room than  in  the  parlor,  and  louder  in  the  lecture-hall 
than  in  the  school-room.  If  read  to  an  assemblage  of 
a  thousand  people,  the  most  didactic  and  unimpassioned 
document  must  be  read  with  considerable  force. 

5.  Pupils  should  be  cautioned  against  attempting  any 
degree  of  force  beyond  the  compass  of  their  voices,  and 
also  against  the  conventional  school-tone  of  loudness, 
which  consists  in  raising  the  voice  to  so  high  a  pitch 
that  it  grates  on  the  ear  like  the  filing  of  a  saw. 

6.  "  The  command  of  all  degrees  of  force  of  voice," 
says  Prof  Russell,  "  must  evidently  be  essential  to  true 


142  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

and  natural  expression,  whether  in  reading  or  speaking. 
Appropriate  utterance  ranges  through  all  stages  of  vocal 
sound,  from  the  whisper  of  fear  and  the  murmur  of 
repose,  to  the  boldest  swell  of  vehement  declamation, 
and  the  shout  of  triumphant  courage.  But  to  give  forth 
any  one  of  these  or  the  intermediate  tones,  with  just 
and  impressive  effect,  tlie  organs  must  be  disciplined  by 
appre])riate  exercise  and  frequent  practice.  For  every 
day's  observation  proves  to  us,  that  mere  natural  instinct 
and  animal  health,  with  all  the  aids  of  informing  intel- 
lect, and  inspiring  emotion,  and  exciting  circumstances, 
are  not  sufficient  to  produce  the  effects  of  eloc|uence,  or 
even  of  adequate  utterance. 

7.  "  The  overwhelming  power  of  undisciplined  feeling 
may  not  only  impede  but  actually  prevent  the  right 
action  of  the  instruments  of  speech ;  and  the  novice  who 
has  fondly  dreamed,  in  his  closet,  that  nothing  more  is 
required  for  effective  expression  than  a  genuine  feeling, 
finds,  to  his  discomfiture,  that  it  is  perhaps  the  very 
intensity  of  his  feeling  that  hinders  his  utterance  ;  and  it 
is  not  till  experience  and  practice  have  done  their  work, 
that  he  learns  the  primary  lesson,  that  force  of  emotion 
needs  a  practiced  force  of  will  to  balance  and  regulate 
it,  and  a  disciplined  control  over  the  organs  to  give  it 
appropriate  utterance. 

8.  "  The  want  of  due  training  for  the  exercise  of 
jiulilic  reading  or  s]")eaking  is  evinced  in  the  habitual 
\indue  loudness  of  some  speakers,  and  the  inadequate 
force  of  others — the  former  subjecting  tlieir  hearers  to 
unnecessary  pain,  and  the  latter  to  disappointment  and 
uneasiness. 

9.  "  Force  of  utterance,  however,  has  other  claims  on 
the  attention  of  students  of  elocution,  besides  those  which 
are  involved  in  correct  expression.  It  is,  in  its  various 
gradations,  the  chief  means  of  imparting  strength  to  the 
vocal   organs,  and   power  to  the   voice    itself.     The    due 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  143 

practice  of  exercises  in  force  of  utterance,  does  for  the 
voice  what  athletic  exercise  does  for  the  muscles  of  the 
body  :  it  imparts  the  two  great  conditions  of  power — 
vigor  and  pliancy." 

CAUTION. 

10.  In  drill  upon  the  following  exercises,  bear  in  mind 
the  following  direction  from  Prof  Monroe :  "  Seek  to 
make  the  sounds  always  smooth  and  musical ;  and  never 
lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  what  is  wanted  in  every-day 
use  of  the  voice,  in  the  school-room  or  elsewhere,  is  a 
pleasant  and  natural  intonation.  The  practice  of  loud 
and  sustained  tones  is  an  excellent  means  of  improving 
the  voice ;  but  is  to  be  the  exception,  not  the  rule,  iu 
ordinary  reading.  Still  less  should  a  shouting  tone  be 
used  in  conducting  a  recitation,  or  in  the  ordinary  dis- 
cipline of  a  class.  Yet  the  softest  tone  must  be  elastic 
and  full  of  life,  not  dull  and  leaden." 


Concert  Deill  on  Force. 

1.  Eepeat,  three  times,  the  long  vocals,  a,  e,  i,  6,  li, 
(1)  with  soft  force ;  (2)  with  moderate  force ;  (3)  with 
loud  force. 

2.  Count  from  one  to  twenty  with  very  soft  force ; 
with  soft  force  ;  with  moderate  force ;  with  loud  force ; 
with  very  loud  force. 

3.  Repeat,  five  times,  the  w^ord  "  all,"  beginning  with 
very  soft  force,  and  increasing  the  degree  of  forCe  with 
each  successive  repetition  of  the  word. 

4.  Eepeat  the  following  with  increased  force  on  each 
successive  repetition  :   "  loud,  louder,  loudest." 

5.  Repeat,  three  times,  e,  a,  a,  a,  6,  o,  (1)  with  soft 
force  ;    (2)  moderate  force  ;    (3)  loud  force. 


144 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


I.    Very  Soft  Force. 

Verij  soft  force   is   appropriate  to   the   expression    of 
tenderness,  sadness,  or  peaceful  and  tranquil  feeling. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.       DllKlE. 

Softlji  !  She  is  lying 
With  her  li})s  apart. 

Softly!  She  is  dying 
Of  a  broken  heart. 

Wldsper!     She  is  going 
To  her  final  rest. 

Whisper  !     Life  is  growing 
Dim  within  her  breast.  Eastman. 


Sweet  and  low,  sweet  and  low, 
Wind  of  the  western  sea, 

Low,  low,  breathe  and  blow. 
Wind  of  the  western  sea  ! 


Tennyson. 


ENOCH    AUDEN. 


He  therefore  turning  softly  like  a  tliicf. 
Lest  the  harsh  shingle  should  grate  underfoot. 
And  feeling  all  along  the  garden-wall, 
Lest  he  should  swoon  and  tumble  and  be  found, 
Crept  to  the  gate,  and  opened  it,  and  closed. 
As  lightly  as  a  sick  man's  chamber-door. 
Behind  him,  and  came  out  upon  the  waste. 

And  there  he  would  have  knelt,  but  that  his  knees 
Were  feeble,  so  that  falling  prone  he  dug 
His  fingers  into  the  wet  earth,  and  prayed. 

Tennyson. 


IL     Soft  or  Subdued  Force. 
Soft  force  differs  from  very  soft  only  in  degree. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  145 

EX^VMPLES. 

1.      TIME. 

Touch  us  gently,  Time ! 

Let  us  glide  adown  thy  stream 
Gently,  as  we  sometimes  glide 

Through  a  quiet  dream. 
Humble  voyagers  are  we, 

O'er  life's  dim,  unsounded  sea, 
Seeking  only  some  calm  clime ; 

Touch  us  gently,  Time  !        babey  coenwai.l. 

2.      DEATH   OF   THE   OLD   YEAR. 

Full  knee-deep  lies  the  winter-snow. 

And  the  wintry  winds  are  wearily  sighing, 

Toll  ye  the  church-bell,  sad  and  slow, 

And  tread  softly  and  speak  low. 
For  the  old  year  lies  a-dying. 

Old  year,  you  must  not  die.  tennyson. 

3.       THE   DEATH-BED. 

We  watched  her  breathing  through  the  night. 

Her  breathing  soft  and  low, 
As  in  her  breast  the  wave  of  life 

Kept  heaving  to  and  fro. 
Our  very  hopes  belied  our  fears, 

Our  fears  our  hopes  belied — 
We  thought  her  dying  when  she  slept. 

And  sleeping  when  she  died.  hood. 

4.       THE   FAERIE    QUEEN. 

Eftsoons  they  heard  a  most  melodious  sound 
Of  all  that  might  delight  a  dainty  ear. 
Such  as,  at  once,  might  not  on  living  ground. 
Save  in  this  paradise,  be  heard  elsewhere : 
Eight  hard  it  was  for  wight  which  did  it  hear 
10 


146  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

To  weet  what  manner  music  that  might  be, 
For  all  that  pleasing  is  to  living  ear 
Was  there  consorted  in  one  harmony ; 
Birds,  voices,  instruments,  winds,  waters,  all  agree. 

Spenser. 

5.     the  aksenal. 
Down  the  dark  future,  through  long  generations. 

The  echoing  sounds  grow  fainter  and  then  cease ; 
And  like  a  bell,  with  solemn,  sweet  vibrations, 

I  hear  once  more  the  voice  of  Christ  say,  "Peace!" 

Longfellow. 
6.      THE   LOST  CHORD. 

Seated  one  day  at  the  organ, 

I  was  weary  and  ill  at  ease. 
And  my  fingers  wandered  idly 

Over  the  noisy  keys. 

I  do  not  know  wliat  I  was  playing. 
Or  what  I  was  dreaming  then ; 

But  I  struck  one  chord  of  music. 
Like  the  sound  of  a  great  Amen ! 

It  flooded  the  crimson  twilight. 
Like  tlie  close  of  an  angel's  psalm. 

And  it  lay  on  my  fevered  spirit. 
With  a  touch  of  infinite  calm. 

It  quieted  pain  and  sorrow, 

Like  love  overcoming  strife ; 
It  seemed  tl)e  harmonious  echo 

From  our  discordant  life. 

It  linked  all  perplexed  meanings 

Into  one  perfect  peace. 
And  trembled  away  into  silence. 

As  if  it  were  loath  to  cease. 

Adelaide  Proctor. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  147 

III.     Moderate  Force. 

Moderate  force  is  the  prevailing  tone  in  the  reading 
of  imimpassioned  narrative,  descriptive,  or  didactic  com- 
position, in  a  small  room,  or  to  a  small  number  of 
persons.  It  is  the  degree  of  force  used  in  conversation. 
The  characteristic  quality  of  moderate  force  is  "pure 
tone,"  and  the  stress.  "  unimpassioned  radical." 

EXAMPI.ES. 

1.  There  was  a  sound  of  revelry  by  night, 

2.  "What  constitutes  a  state  ? 

3.  Scrooge  never  painted  out  old  Marley's  name. 

4.  The  history  of  England  is  emphatically  the  history 
of  progress. 

5.  The  eyes  of  men  converse  as  much  as  their  tongues. 

6.  Spake  full  well  in  language  quaint  and  olden, 

One  who  dvvelleth  by  the  castled  Rhine, 
When  he  called  the  flowers,  so  blue  and  golden, 
Stars,  that  in  earth's  firmament  do  shine. 

7.   The  way  was  long,  the  wind  was  cold, 
The  minstrel  was  infirm  and  old. 

8.   I  met  a  little  cottage  girl. 

She  was  eight  years  old,  she  said  ; 
Her  hair  was  thick  with  many  a  curl. 
That  clustered  round  her  head. 

9.    Blessings  on  thee,  little  man. 
Barefoot  boy  with  cheeks  of  tan, 
With  thy  turned-up  pantaloon, 
And  thy  merry  whistled  tune. 

10.    I  wrote  some  lines  once  on  a  time 
In  wondrous  merry  mood. 
And  thought,  as  usual,  men  would  say 
They  were  exceeding  good. 


148  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION, 

They  were  so  queer,  so  veiy  queer, 

I  laughed  as  I  would  die; 
Albeit,  iu  the  general  \vay, 

A  sober  man  am  I. 

11.    Listen,  my  children,  and  you  shall  hear 
Of  the  midnight  ride  of  Paul  Eevere, 

On  the  eighteenth  of  April,  in  seventy-five ; — 

Hardly  a  man  is  now  alive 
Who  remembers  that  famous  day  and  year. 

12.   Around  I  see  the  powers  that  be; 

I  stand  by  Empire's  primal  springs ; 
And  princes  meet  in  every  street, 

And  hear  the  tread  of  uncrowned  kings ! 

13.  Mrs.  Siddons  once  had  a  pupil  who  was  practicing 
for  the  stage.  The  lesson  was  upon  the  "part"  of  a 
young  girl  whose  lover  had  deserted  her.  Tlie  rendering 
did  not  please  that  Queen  of  Tragedy,  and  she  said: 
"Think  how  you  would  feel  under  the  circumstances. 
What  would  you  do  if  your  lover  were  to  run  off  and 
leave  you  ? "  "I  would  look  out  for  another  one,"  said 
that  philosophic  young  lady ;  and  Mrs.  Siddons,  with  a 
gesture  of  intense  disgust,  cried  out,  "  Leave  me ! "  and 
would  never  give  her  another  lesson. 

14.      READING  AS   AN   ACCOMPLISHMENT. 

We  had  rather  have  a  child  return  to  us  from  school 
a  first-rate  reader,  than  a  first-rate  performer  on  the 
piano-forte.  We  should  feel  that  we  had  a  far  better 
pledge  for  tlie  intelligence  and  talent  of  our  child.  The 
accomplishment,  in  its  perfection,  would  give  more 
pleasure.  The  voice  of  song  is  not  sweeter  than  the 
voice  of  eloquence.  And  there  may  be  eloquent  readers, 
as  well  as  eloquent  speakers. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  149 

IV.    Loud  Force. 

Loud  force  is  the  tone  used  to  express  courage,  bold- 
ness, defiance,  anger,  grandeur,  and  sublimity.  It  is 
used  by  the  public  speaker  in  addressing  a  large  audi- 
ence, or  when  speaking  under  the  sway  of  strong 
emotion. 

This  degree  of  force  requires  full  and  deep  breathing, 
and  a  vigorous  use  of  the  vocal  organs. 

The  middle  pitch  is  the  appropriate  key  of  loud  force. 
A  high  pitch  weakens  the  effect  of  forcible  reading  or 
declamation. 

exampi.es. 

1.  Joy  !     Joy  !     Shout,  shout  aloud  for  joy. 

2.  Hark  to  the  brazen  blare  of  the  bugle ! 
Hark  to  the  rolling  clatter  of  the  drums. 

3.  Not  in  vain   the   distance   beacons.     Forward,  for- 

ward, let  us  range ; 
Let  the  great   world   spin   forever  down  the  ring- 
ing grooves  of  change. 

4.     Alexander's  feast. 
Now  strike  the  golden  lyre  again; 
A  louder  yet,  and  yet  a  louder  strain. 
Break  his  bands  of  sleep  asunder. 
And  rouse  him,  like  a  rattling  peal  of  thunder. 

Dbyden. 
5.      REVENGE. 

And  longer  had  she  sung — but,  with  a  frown, 

Eevenge  impatient  rose. 
He  threw  his  blood-stained  sword  in  thunder  down, 

And,  with  a  withering  look. 

The  war-denouncing  trumpet  took, 
And  blew  a  blast,  so  loud  and  dread. 
Were  ne'er  prophetic  sounds  so  full  of  woe : 

And  ever  and  anon,  he  beat 

The  doubling  drum  with  furious  heat.       collins. 


150  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

6.    Hilton's  "paradise  lost." 

Now  storming  fury  rose, 
And  clamor  such  as  beard  in  heaven  till  n6io 
Was  n^ver ;  arms  on  armor  clashing,  brayed 
Horrible  discord,  and  the  madding  wheels 
Of  brazen  chariots  raged :  dire  was  the  noise 
Of  conflict;  overhead  the  dismal  hiss 
Of  fiery  darts  in  flaming  volleys  flew, 
And  flying  vaulted  either  host  with  fire. 
So  under  fiery  cope,  together  rushed 
£dth  battles  main,  with  ruinous  assdult 
And  inextinguishable  rage.     All  heaven 
Eesounded ;  and  had  earth  been  then,  all  ^arth, 
Had  to  her  center  shook.     AVhat  wonder .?  where 
Millions  of  fierce  encountering  angels  fought 
On  Either  side,  the  least  of  whom  could  wield 
These  elements,  and  arm  him  with  the  force 
Of  all  their  regions. 

7.      THE   BELLS. 

Hear  the  loud  cdarnrn  bells — 
Brazen  bells  ! 
"What  a  tale  of  terror,  now,  their  turbuleucy  tells ! 
In  the  startled  ear  of  night 
How  they  scream  out  their  affright ! 
Too  much  horrified  to  speak, 
They  can  only  shriek,  shriek, 
Out  of  tune, 
In  the  clamorous  appealing  to  the  mercy  of  the  fire, 
In  a  mad  expostulation   witli  the  deaf  and  frantic  fire 
Leaping  higher,  higher,  lllGHLR, 
With  a  desperate  desire. 
And  a  resolute  endeavor, 
Novj,  now  to  sit  or  never 
By  the  side  of  the  pale-faced  moon !         pqe. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  151 

V.    Very  Loud  or  Declamatory  Force. 

Very  loud  force  prevails  in  oratorical  declamation 
before  large  audiences.  It  is  also  heard  iu  the  tones  of 
anger,  of  passion,  of  command,  in  calling  or  shouting, 
and  in  intensely  dramatic  reading. 

EXAaiPtES. 

1.   Now  for  the  fight !   now  for  the  cannon  peal. 

Forward !   through  blood   and  toil,  and  cloud,  and 
fire! 
Glorious  the  shout,  the  shock,  the  crash  of  steel, 
The  volley's  roll,  the  rocket's  blasting  spire. 

2.  To  arms !  they  come !  the  Grfeek !  the  Grfeek ! 

3.  Liberty !     Freedom  !     Tyranny  is  dead. 

4.  Thy  threats,  thy  mercy  I  deff/, 

I  give  thee  in  thy  teeth  the  lie. 

5.  He  raised  a  shout  as  he  drew  on 
Till  all  the  welkin  rang  again : 

"Elizabeth!  Elizabeth!" 

6.   From  every  hill,  by  every  sea. 

In  shouts  proclaim  the  great  decree, 
"All  chains  are  hurst,  cdl  men  are  free! ^^ 
Hurrah,  hurrah,  hurrah  ! 

7.   SPARTACUS  TO  THE  GLADIATORS. 

[Radical  and  vanishing  stress,  and  strongly  marked  circumflex  in' 
flections.] 

Ye  stand  here  now  like  giants,  as  ye  hre.  The  strength 
of  brass  is  in  your  tougliened  sineivs ;  but  to-morrow 
some  Pioman  Adonis,  breathing  sweet  perfume  from  his 
curly  locks,  shall  with  his  lily  fingers  pdt  your  red 
hrdwn,  and  bet  his  sesterces  upon  your  blood.  Hark ! 
hear  ye  yon  lion  roaring  in  his  den  ?  'T  is  three  days 
since  he  tasted  fesh ;    but  to-morrow  he  shall  break  his 


152  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

fast  upon  yoilrs,  and  a  dainty  meal  for  him  ye  will  he. 
If  ye  are  beasts,  then  stand  here  like  fat  oxen,  waiting 
for  the  hitchcr's  hil/e !  If  ye  are  inln,  follow  me ! 
Strike  down  yon  guard,  gain  the  mountain  passes,  and 
thhc  do  bloody  ivbrJx,  as  did  your  sires  at  old  Ther- 
mbpyla: !  Is  Sparta  dead  ?  Is  the  old  Grecian  spirit 
frozen  in  your  veins,  that  you  do  crouch  and  cower  like 
a  belabored  hound  beneath  his  master's  lash  ?  Oh,  com- 
rades !  wdrriors !  Thrdcians  !  if  we  must  fight,  let  us 
figlit  for  ourselves  !  If  we  must  slaughter,  let  us  slaughter 
our  opp)ressors !  If  we  must  die,  let  it  be  under  the 
clear    sky,    by    the    bright    tvatcrs,   in    noble,    honorable 

OatllfC.  Kellogg. 

8.     Catiline's  defianxe. 

Conscript  fathers, 
I  do  not  rise  to  waste  the  night  in  wdrds : 
Let  that  jj/c&cwmi  talk ;   't  is  not  my  trade  j 
But  here  I  stand  for  right! — Let  him  show  proofs! 
For  Roman  right ;  though  none,  it  seems,  dare  stand 
To  take  their  share  with  me.     Ay,  cluster  thfere  ! 
Cling  to  your  master,  judges,  Eomans,  sldvcs ! 
His  charge  is  fdlsc.     I  dare  him  to  his  proofs. 

Crolv. 
9.      IIICIIELIEU. 

Who  spake  of  life  ? 
I  bade  thee  grasp  tliat  treasure  as  thine  honor — 
A  jeivel  worth  whole  hecaiomhs  of  lives ! 
Begone!   redeem  thine  honor!     Back  to  Marion — 
Or  Bdradas — or  Orleans — track  the  robber — 
Begdin  the  packet — or  crawl  on  to  age — 
Age  and  gray  lidirs  like  mine — and  know  tliou  'st  lost 
That  which  had  made  thee  great  and  saved  thy  country. 
See  me  nut  till  thou  'st  bought  tlie  right  to  seek  me. 
Aiudy  !     Nay,  chkr  thee  !  thou  hast  not  fail'd  yet — 
There  's  no  such  vj6rd  as  fail.  bulwek. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  '  153 

10.      FREEDOM. 

8.  If  I  could  stand  for  a  moment  upon  one  of  your 
hio-h  mountain  tops,  far  above  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
civilized  world,  and  there  might  s^e,  coming  up,  one 
after  another,  the  bravest  and  wisest  of  the  ancient 
warriors,  and  statesmen,  and  kings,  and  monarchs,  and 
priests ;  and  if,  as  they  came  up,  I  might  be  permitted 
to  ask  from  them  an  expression  of  opinion  upon  such 
a  case  as  this,  with  a  common  voice  and  in  thunder  tones, 
reverberating  through  a  thousand  valleys,  and  echoing 
down  the  ages,  they  would  cry  :  "  lAherty,  Freedom,  the 
Universal  Brotherhood  of  Man  T'  /join  that  shout;  I 
swell  that  anthem  ;  I  echo  that  praise  forever,  and 
for  evermore. 

11.      THE  WAR   INEVITABLE. 

They  tell  us,  sir,  that  we  are  weah — unable  to  cope 
with  so  formidable  an  adversary.  But  when  shall  we 
be  stronger?  Will  it  be  the  next  iveek,  or  the  next 
year  ?  Will  it  be  when  we  are  totally  disarmed,  and 
when  a  British  guard  shall  be  stationed  in  every  house  ? 
Shall  we  gather  strength  by  irresolution  and  inaction  ? 
Shall  we  acquire  the  means  of  effectual  |  resistance  by 
lying  supinely  on  our  hacks,  and  hugging  the  delu.sive 
phantom  of  hope,  until  our  enemies  siiall  have  bound  us 
hdnd  and  foot  ?  Sir,  we  are  not  weak,  if  we  make  a 
proper  use  of  those  means  which  the  God  of  nature 
hath  placed  in  our  power.  It  is  in  vain,  sir,  to  extenu- 
ate the  matter.  Gentlemen  may  cry  peace,  peace  ! — but 
there  is  no  peace.  The  war  is  actually  hegHn  I  The 
next  gale  that  sweeps  from  the  north  will  bring  to  our 
ears  the  clash  of  resounding  cirms !  Our  hrethren  are 
already  in  tlie  fifeld  !  Why  stand  we  here  Idle  ?  What 
is  it  that  gentlemen  wish  ?  Wliat  Nvould  tliey  have  ? 
Is  life  so  dear,  or  peace  so  sirM,  as  to  be  purchased  at 
the   price  of  chains  and  slavery  ?     Forbid   it,   Almighty 


154  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

God !     I   know   not  what   course  otliers  may  take ;  but 
as  for  m^,  give  me  liberty,  or  give  me  death  ! 

Patrick  Hekry. 

VI.    Recapitulation  of  Force. 

1.  Force  must  he  regulated  hy  the  thought  or  feeling  to 
he  expressed. 

2.  Soft  force  prevails  in  the  expression  of  peaceful 
thought,  of  sentiment,  of  tra7iquillity,  and  of  suppressed 
emotion. 

3.  Moderate  force  is  the  natural  tone  of  conversation 
and   of  narrative,   descriptive,   and   didactic   composition. 

4.  Loiul  force  prevails  in  the  expression  of  anger,  pas- 
sion, sublimity,  comma^id,  and  strong  feeling. 

5.  Very  loud  force  prevails  in  calling  and  shouting; 
in  cries  of  alarm,  fear,  and  terror ;  and  in  intense  dra- 
matic expression. 

Examples  of  Force. 

VERY   SOFT. 

Low,  low,  breathe  and  blow,  wind  of  tlie  western  sea. 

SOFT. 

How  sweet  the  moonlight  sleeps  u})on  this  bank. 

MODERATE. 

Marley  was  dead,  to  begin  with. 

LOUD. 

Hear  the  loud  alarum  bells — brazen  bells  ! 
How  they  clang,  and  clash,  and  roar. 

VERY  LOUD. 

Liberty  !   freedom  !     Tyranny  is  dead. 

Require  each  pupil  to  select,  write  out,  and  read  in  tlie  class,  a 
similar  set  of  quoted  illustrations. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  155 

SECTION   11. 

STRESS    OF    VOICE. 

Stress  denotes  the  manner  of  applying  volume  of  voice 
to  single  words  or  sounds.  The  elocutionary  divisions 
of  stress  are : 

1.  Radical  >  4.     Thorough  = 

2.  Median  <>  5.     Compound  X 

3.  Vanishing  ^  6.     Intermittent  .^^i:^::^ 

The  radical  and  the  median  stress  are  the  most  im- 
portant and  the  most  used  of  these  divisions ;  and  to 
these  the  attention  of  school  readers  should  be  chiefly 
directed.  The  other  forms  of  stress  mainly  concern  the 
special  elocutionist  or  the  actor;  and  may,  therefore,  be 
treated  very  briefly. 

I.    EADICAL  STEESS. 

1.  In  radical  stress,  the  force  strikes  abruptly  upon 
the  radix,  or  beginning  of  a  word  or  a  sound.  It  cor- 
responds to  the  diininuendo  in  music. 

2.  It  may  be  illustrated  by  exploding  the  full  force 
of  the  voice  upon  the  initial  vowel  in  the  following 
words  :   (1)  ale,  arm,  all,  old,  ooze.     (2)  at,  end,  in,  on,  iip. 

3.  Of  this  stress.  Dr.  Eush  says :  "  There  are  so  few 
speakers  able  to  give  a  radical  stress  with  this  moment- 
ary burst,  and  therefore  so  few  who  may  comprehend 
the  mere  description  of  it,  that  I  must  draw  an  illus- 
tration from  the  effort  of  coughing.  A  single  impulse 
of  coughing  is  not  in  all  points  exactly  like  the  abrupt 
voice  on  syllables,  for  that  single  impulse  is  a  forcing 
out  of  almost  all  the  breath,  which  is  not  the  case  in 
syllabic  utterance ;  yet  if  the  tonic  element  be  employed 
as  tlie  vocality  of  coughing,  its  abrupt  opening  will  truly 
represent  the  function  of  radical  stress,  when  used  in 
discourse. 


156  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

4.  "It  is  this  stress  which  draws  tlie  cutting  edge  of 
words  across  the  ear,  and  startles  even  stupor  into  atten- 
tion;  this,  which  lessens  the  fatigue  of  listening,  and 
out-voices  the  murmur  and  unruly  stir  of  an  assembly ; 
and  a  sensibility  to  this,  through  a  general  instinct  of 
the  animal  ear,  whicli  gives  authority  to  the  groom,  and 
makes  the  horse  submissive  to  his  angry  accent. 

5.  "  Besides  the  fullness,  loudness,  and  abruptness  of 
the  radical  stress,  when  employed  for  distinct  articula- 
tion, the  tonic  sound  itself  should  be  a  pure  vocality. 
When  mixed  with  aspiration,  it  loses  the  brilliancy  that 
serves  to  increase  the  impressive  effect  of  the  explosive 
force." 

Distinctions  of  Eadical  Stress. 

1.  Kadical  stress  may  be  distinguished  as  unimpas- 
sioned  and  imiMssioned. 

2.  The  unimpassioned  radical  is  used  in  narrative, 
descriptive,  and  didactic  reading,  to  give  a  clear,  dis- 
tinct, energetic  style  of  expression.  The  impassioned 
radical  is  the  strong,  full,  abrupt  utterance  which  char- 
acterizes the  voice  when  under  the  inlhience  of  strong 
passions,  such  as  anger,  hatred,  etc.  It  is  the  stress  of 
authoritative  command,  of  strength,  and  of  power. 

I.     The   Unimpassioned   Eadical. 

This  form  of  the  radical  stress  is  generally  combined 
with  moderate  force  and  middh;  ]iitch.  In  tlie  unim- 
passioned I'adical  the  vowel  and  liquid  sounds  are  cut 
sliort  as  in  the  staccato  movement  in  music. 

Tiiis  stress  is  characteristic  of  vivacity,  gayety,  humor, 
and  of  clear,  distinct,  and  definite  statement. 

Unimpassioned  Eadical  Drill. 
1.    Repeat  rapidly  four  times,  with   the  f.dling  iuflec- 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  157 

tion,   the   short   vowel   sounds,    a,   c,   i,   o,   ii;    the   long 
vocals,  a,  e,  I,  o,  u. 

2.  Count  from  one  to  twenty  with  moderate  force 
and  falling  inflection,  cutting  short  the  words  as  in 
staccato  movement. 

3.  Is  this  a  time  to  be  gloomy  and  sad, 

When  our  mother  nature  laughs  around  ? 
When  even  the  deep  blue  heavens  look  glad, 

And  gladness  breathes  from  the  blossoming  ground  ? 

4.  Hear  the  sledges,  with  the  bells — silver  bells, 
What  a  world  of  merriment  their  melody  foretells ; 

How  they  tinkle,  tinkle,  tinkle, 
In  the  icy  air  of  night ! 

Examples  of  Unimpassioned  Eadical, 

1.    Bob-o'-link,  bob-o'-Unk, 

Spink,  spank,  spink; 
Chee  !  chee  !  chee ! 

2.    Sometimes,  with  secure  delight, 
The  upland  hamlets  will  invite. 
When  the  merry  bells  ring  round, 
And  the  jocund  rebecs  sound 
To  many  a  youth  and  many  a  maid, 
Dancing  in  the  checkered  shade. 

3.      IIUDIBKAS. 

In  matliematics  he  was  greater 
Thau  Tycho  Brahe  or  Erra  Pater; 
For  he,  by  geometric  scale. 
Could  take  the  size  of  pots  of  ale ; 
Eesolve  by  sines  and  tangents,  straight, 
If  bread  or  butter  wanted  weiglit ; 
And  wisely  tell  what  hour  o'  th'  day 
The  clock  does  strike,  by  algebra. 


158  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

4.      nilYME   OF   THE   KAIL. 

Singing  through  the  forest-s, 

liattling  over  ridges, 
Shooting  under  arches, 

Rumbling  over  bridges; 
Whizzing  through  the  mountains, 

Buzzing  o'er  the  vale — 
Bless  me !    this  is  pleasant, 

Eiding  on  the  rail! 

5.  SUMMER. 

There's  a  dance  of  leaves  in  that  aspen  hbvjer, 
There's  a  titter  of  idlnds  in  that  beecheu  tree, 

There 's  a  smile  on  the  fruit,  and  a  smile  on  the  flower. 
And  a  lawjli  from  the  hruok  that  runs  to  the  sea  ! 

Bryant. 

6.  SUMMER. 

And  what  is  so  rare  as  a  day  in  June  ? 

Then,  if  ever,  come  perfect  days ; 
Then  Heaven  tries  the  earth  if  it  be  in  tune. 

And  over  it  softly  her  warm  ear  lays ; 
Whether  we  look  or  M-hether  we  listen, 
We  hear  life  murnmr  or  see  it  glisten ; 
Every  clod  feels  a  stir  of  might, 

An  instinct  within  it  that  reaches  and  towers, 
And,  groping  blindly  above  it  for  light, 

Climbs  to  a  soul  in  grass  and  flowers. 


Lowell. 


7.      SEA-WEEI). 

When  descends  on  the  Atlantic 

The  gigantic 
Storm-wiiul  of  the  equinox, 
Landward  in  his  wratli  he  scourges 

The  toiling  surges, 
Laden  with  sea-weed  from  the  rocks 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  159 

Ever  drifting,  drifting,  drifting 

On  the  shining 
Currents  of  the  restless  main ; 
Till  in  sheltered  coves,  and  reaches 

Of  sandy  beaches. 

All   have    found    repose    again.  Longfellow. 

8.      THE   DRUM. 

At  a  distance,  down  the  street,  making  music  with  their 

feet. 
Came   the  soldiers   from  the  wars,  all   embellished  with 

their  scars, 
To  the  tapping  of  a  drum,  of  a  drum ; 
To  the  pounding  and  the  sounding  of  a  drum ! 
Of  a  drum,  of  a  drum,  of  a  drum  !   drum,  drum,  drum  ! 

9.      COMPENSATION. 

Experienced  men  of  the  world  know  very  well  that  it 
is  best  to  pay  scot  and  lot  as  they  go  along,  and  that 
a  man  often  pays  dear  for  a  small  frugality.  The  bor- 
rower runs  in  his  own  debt.  Has  a  man  gained  any- 
thing who  has  received  a  hundred  favors  and  rendered 
none  ?  Has  he  gained  by  borrowing,  through  indolence 
or  cunning,  his  neighbor's  wares,  or  horses,  or  money  ? 
There  arises  on  the  deed  the  instant  acknowledgment 
of  benefit  on  the  one  part,  and  of  debt  on  the  other; 
that  is,  of  superiority  and  inferiority.  The  transaction 
remains  in  the  memory  of  himself  and  his  neighbor; 
and  every  new  transaction  alters,  according  to  its  nature, 
their  relation  to  each  other.  He  may  soon  come  to  see 
that  he  had  better  have  broken  his  own  bones  than  to 
have  ridden  in  his  neighbor's  coach,  and  that  "  the 
highest  price  he  can  pay  for  a  thing  is  to  ask  for  it." 

Emerson. 


IGO  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.    . 

IT.    The  Impassioned  Radical. 

1.  The  impassioned  radical  stress  falls  on  the  ear 
with  abrupt,  explosive  force,  like  the  beat  of  a  bass 
drum.  A  good  illustration  of  extreme  radical  stress  is 
afforded  by  loud,  explosive  laughter. 

2.  The  impassioned  radical  marks  positive  assertion, 
strong  determination,  and  authoritative  command.  It 
is  the  abrupt  stress  of  courage,  boldness,  anger,  and 
hatred. 

3.  The  absence  of  radical  stress,  so  common  in  un- 
trained readers  and  speakers,  indicates  feebleness,  inde- 
cision, and  confusion  or  timidity.  A  lack  of  radical 
stress  may  kill  the  most  impressive  sentiments,  or  may 
transform  a  gay,  joyous,  lively  piece  of  composition 
into  dull,  joyless,  or  even  melancholy  expression. 

4.  Carried  to  excess,  however,  the  radical  stress  be- 
comes the  mark  of  egotism,  dogmatism,  and  undue  self- 
assertion.  It  often  characterizes  the  rant  of  the  stump 
sj)caker  who  "tears  a  passion  into  tatters." 

5.  There  is  little  tendency  in  school  to  excess  of 
radical  stress :  on  the  contrary,  there  is  generally  a  lack 
of  it. 

Impassioned  Radical  Stress  Drill. 

1.  Repeat,  three  times,  with  abrupt,  explosive  force, 
the  long  vocals,  a,  e,  i,  5,  ii. 

2.  Repeat,  in  the  same  manner,  the  following :  ale, 
arm,  all,  ooze. 

3.  Repeat,  four  times,  with  explosive  laughter:  ha! 
ha !   ha  !  ho  !  ho  !  ho  !  haw  !  haw  !  haw  ! 

4.  Tramp,  tramj:),  tramp,  the  boys  are  marching. 

5.  Awalcc!  arise!  or  be  forever  fallen! 

6.    Up,  drclwhridffe,  groom,  what,  warder,  hb! 
Let  the  2^ortcullis  falh 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  161 

7.  To  arms!   to  arms!  to  arms!   they  cry, 

8.  Shoulder    arms!    forward     march!    halt!     Eight 
about  face,  march  ! 

9.  Hold !   hold !    for  ^'•our  lives ! 

10.  Back  to  thy  punishment,  false  fugitive. 

11.  He  was  struck,  struck  like  a  clog. 

12.    Up !  comrades,  up !  in  Eokeby's  halls 
Ne'er  be  it  said  our  courage  falls. 

13.  Send  out  more  horses !   skirr  the  country  round. 

Awake !     Awake ! 

14.  Eing  the  alarum  bell !     Murder  and  treason ! 
Malcolm !  awake !     Malcolm  !     Banquo ! 

15.      THE   CLANSMAN   TO    HIS   CHIEF. 

"Maeldine!   you've  scourged  me  like  a  hbund ; — 
You  should  have  striick  me  to  the  ground. 
You  should  have  played  a  chief  tains  part; — 
You  should  have  stabbed  me  to  the  heart. 

"You  should  have  crushed  me  unto  cUath; 
But  here  I  sv)cdr  with  living  breath, 
That  for  this  wrong  which  you  have  done, 
I  '11  wreak  my  vengeance  on  your  son. 

"  I  scSrn  forgiveness,  haughty  man ! 
You  've  hij'ured  me  before  the  clan ; 
And  naught  but  blood  shall  wipe  away 
The  shame  I  have  endured  to-day."  mackat. 

16.       ALEXANDRA. 

Welcome  her,  thunders  of  fort  and  of  flfeet ! 

Welcome  her,  thundering  cheer  of  the  street ! 

Welcome  her,  all  things  useful  and  swfeet ; 

Scatter  the  blbssoms  under  her  ffeet ! 

Brfeak,  happy  Iknd,  into  earlier  flowers  ! 

Make  music,  0  bird,  in  the  new  budded  bowers  ! 
11 


162  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Blazon  your  mottoes  ]  of  blessing  and  prayer! 
Welcome  her,  welcome  her,  all  that  is  ours ! 
AVarble,  0  bugle ;   and  trumpet,  blkre ! 
Flags,  flutter  out  |  upon  turrets  and  towers  ! 
Flames,  on  the  windy  headland  flare  !' 
Utter  your  jubilee,  steeple  and  sjnre  ! 
Clash,  ye  hells,  in  the  merry  March  ^ir! 
FldsJi,  ye  cities,  in  rivers  of  fire ! 
Eush  to  the  roof,  sudden  rocket,  and  higher  | 
Melt  into  the  stars  for  the  land's  desire! 

TeNNYSON. 
17.      THE   OLD   CONTINENTALS. 

And  grummer,  grummcr,  grummer, 
Rolled  the  roll  of  the  drummer,  * 
Through  tlie  morn  ! 

And  louder,  louder,  louder, 
Cracked  the  loud  gunpowder, 
■    Cracked  amain ! 

Then  higher,  higher,  higher. 
Burned  tlie  old-fashioned  fire 
Through  the  ranks  ! 

And  rounder,  ROUNDER,  EOUNDER, 

Boared  the  iron  six^ounder, 
Hurling  death  I 

IS.      THE    BRAZEN    BELLS. 

Hear  the  loud  alarum  bells, — 
Brazen  bells ! 
What  a  tale  of  terror,  now,  their  turbulency  tells ! 
In  the  startled  ear  of  niglit 
How  tliey  scream  out  tlieir  affright ! 
Too  much  liorrificd  to  speak, 
Tliey  can  only  shriek,  shriek, 
Out  of  tunc, 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  163 

In  the  clamorous  appealing  to  the  mercy  of  the  fire. 
In  a  mad  expostulation  with  the  deaf  and  frantic  fire 
Leaping  higher,  higher,  higher, 
With  a  desperate  desire, 
And  a  resolute  endeavor, 
Now — noto  to  sit  or  never. 
By  the  side  of  the  pale-face  moon. 
O  the  bells,  bells,  bells, 
What  a  tale  their  terror  tells 
Of  despair ! 
How  they  clang  and  clash  and  roar  ! 
What  a  horror  they  outpour 
On  the  bosom  of  the  palpitating  air ! 
Yet  the  ear,  it  fully  knows. 
By  the  twanging 
And  the  clanging, 
How  the  danger  ebbs  and  flows; 
Yet  the  ear  distinctly  tells. 
In  the  jangling 
And  the  wrangling, 
How  the  danger  sinks  and  swells. 
By  the  sinking  or  the  swelling  in  the  anger  of  the  bells — 
Of  the  bells— 
Of  the  bells,  bells,  bells,  bells. 
Bells,  bells,  bells— 
In  the  clamor  and  clangor  of  the  bells !  poe. 

19.      INDEPENDENCE. 

Bead  this  Declaration  |  at  the  head  of  the  tirmy: 
every  sivbrd  \  will  be  drawn  from  its  scabharcl,  and  the 
solemn  vow  ]  uttered,  to  maintdin  it,  or  to  perish  \  on 
the  bed  of  honor.  Publish  it  from  the  pillpit ;  religion  | 
will  apjirdve  it,  and  the  love  of  religious  liberty  \  will 
cling  round  it,  resolved  |  to  stand  with  it,  or  fall  with 
it.  Send  it  to  the  public  hhlls ;  proclaim  it  there ;  let 
tlicm  I  hear  it,  who  heard  the  first  roar  |  of  the  enemy's 


164  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

cdnnon ;  let  thhn  \  see  it,  who  saw  their  hrothers  and 
their  s6ns  \  fall  ou  the  field  of  Bunker  Hill,  and  in  the 
streets  of  Lhxington  and   Cbncord,  and   the  very  ludlls  \ 

will    cry    out  |  in    its    SUppbrt.  Webster. 

20.      FREEDOM. 

Many  years  long  gone,  I  took  my  stand  by  Frh- 
dorii,  and  where  \  in  my  earliest  youth  |  my  feet  \  were 
planted,  there  \  my  wdnkood  \  and  my  age  shall  march. 
And  for  one,  I  am  not  ashdmed  of  Freedom.  I  know 
her  iihwer.  I  irjoice  \  in  her  mhjesty.  I  icdlk  \  beneath 
her  hiinner.  I  gl<^ry  \  in  her  strength.  I  have  seen  Free- 
dom I  ill  history,  again  and  agitin ;  with  mine  own 
eyes  \  I  have  watched  her  |  again  and  again  |  struck 
ddwn  I  on  a  hundi-ed  chosen  fields  of  hhttle. 

I  have  seen  her  frie^nds  \  fly  frhm  her ;  I  have  seen 
f6es  I  gather  round  her;  I  have  seen  them  |  hind  her  to 
the  stdke ;  I  have  seen  them  give  her  dsMs  to  the 
winds — regdthering  them  again  |  that  they  might  scatter 
them  I  yet  more  widely ;  but  when  her  foes  |  turned  to 
exult,  I  have  seen  her  aghin  \  meet  them  |  face  to  fhce, 
resplendent  in  complete  steel,  and  brandishing  |  in  her 
strong  right  hand  \  a  flaming  sword,  red  with  insiiffer- 
able  light. 

And  I  take  cburage.  The  plople  \  gatlier  round  her. 
The  Genius  of  America  \  will  at  last  |  lead  her  s6ns  to 
Frhdom.  Bakeu. 

21.       rEHORATIDN   OF   BUZFUZ  : — BARBELL   17,9.    PICKWICK. 

[The  follounnq  is  an  example  of  the  bombastic  style  of  ranting  oratory, 
which  is  a  burlesque  of  trite  art.] 

Of  this  man  I  will  say  little.  The  subject  presents 
but  few  attractions ;  and  /,  gentlemen,  am  not  the  miin, 
nor  are  you,  gentlemen,  the  m^n,  to  delight  in  the  con- 
templation of  revolting  heartlessness,  and  of  systematic 
vlllany.     I  say  systemdtic  villany,  gentlemen;  and  when 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  165 

I  say  systemdtic  villainy,  let  me  tell  the  defendant  Pick- 
wick, if  he  be  in  court,  as  I  am  informed  he  is,  that  it 
would  have  been  more  decent  in  him,  more  becoming,  if 
he  had  stopped  away.  Let  me  tell  him,  further,  that  a 
counsel,  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty,  is  neither  to  be 
intimidated,  nor  bullied,  nor  put  dbion ;  and  that  any 
attempt  to  do  either  the  one  or  the  other  will  recoil  on 
the  head  of  the  attdmpter,  be  he  ^;Zfti?ih[^  or  be  he  de- 
fendant, be  his  name  Pickwick,  or  Noakes,  or  Stoakes, 
or  Stiles,  or  Brown,  or  Thompson. 

But  Pickwick,  gentlemen,  Pickwick,  the  ruthless  de- 
stroyer of  this  domestic  oasis  in  the  desert  of  Goswell 
street, — Pickwick,  who  has  choked  up  the  well,  and 
thrown  ashes  on  the  sward, — Pickwick,  who  comes  before 
you  to-day  with  his  heartless  tomato-sauce  and  warm- 
ing-pans,— Pickwick,  still  rears  his  head  with  unblush- 
ing effrontery,  and  gazes  without  a  sigh  on  the  riiin  he 
has  made !  Damages,  gentlemen,  heavy  damages,  is  the 
only  punishment  with  which  you  can  visit  him, — the 
only  recompense  you  can  award  to  my  client !  And  for 
those  damages  she  now  appeals  to  an  enlightened,  a  higJi- 
mhidcd,  a  r%cjht feeling ,  a  eonscientious,  a  dispcissionate,  a 
sympathizing,  a  conthiiplative  jury  of  her  civilized  eountry- 

mcn  !  Dickens. 


II.     MEDIAN   STRESS. 

1.  The  median  stress  corresponds  to  the  "swell"  in 
music.  It  is  strongest  in  the  middle  of  a  sound  or  a 
word.  It  is  adapted  to  the  expression  of  harmonious 
and  poetic  ideas. 

2.  "  It  is,"  says  liussell,  "  the  natural  utterance  of  those 
emotions  which  allow  the  intermingling  of  reflection  and 
sentiment  with  expression,  and  which  purposely  dwell 
on  sound,  as  a  means  of  enhancing  their  effect. 

3.  "  This  mode  of  stress  is  one  of  the  most  important 


166  SCHOOL    ELOCUTIOX. 

iu  its  effect  on  language,  whether  in  the  form  of  speak- 
ing OT  of  reading.  Destitute  of  its  ennobling  and  ex- 
pansive sound,  the  recitation  of  poetry  sinks  into  the 
style  of  dry  prose,  the  language  of  devotion  loses  its 
sacredness,  the  tones  of  oratory  lose  their  power  over 
the  heart. 

4.  "  There  is  great  danger,  however,  of  this  natural 
beauty  of  vocal  expression  being  converted  into  a  fault 
by  being  overdone.  The  habit  recognized  under  the  name 
of  mouthing  has  an  excessively  increased  and  prolonged 
median  swell  for  one  of  its  chief  characteristics.  In 
this  shape,  it  becomes  a  great  deformity  in  utterance, — 
particularly  when  combined  with  what  is  no  infrequent 
concomitant,  the  faulty  mode  of  voice  known  as  chant- 
ing or  singing.  Like  sweetness  among  savors,  this  truly 
agreeable  quality  of  sound  becomes  distasteful  or  dis- 
gusting when  in  the  least  degree  excessive. 

5.  "  The  practice  of  median  stress,  therefore,  requires 
very  close  attention.  The  spirit  of  poetry  and  the  lan- 
guage of  eloquence, — the  highest  effects  of  human  ut- 
terance,— render  it  indispensable  as  an  accomplishment 
in  elocution.  But  a  chaste  and  discriminating  ear  is 
requisite  to  decide  the  just  degree  of  its  extent. 

G.  "Median  stress  has  tlie  form  of  effusive  utterance 
in  sublime,  solemn,  and  ^^ft^At'fft'c  emotions :  it  becomes 
exjDulsive,  in  those  which  combine  force  witli  grandeur, 
as  in  admiration,  courage,  autlioi'itative  comma,nd,  indig- 
nation, and  similar  feelings.  But  its  effect  is  utterly  in- 
compatible with  the  al>ruptness  of  explosion.  Its  com- 
paratively musical  character  adapts  it,  with  special  felicity 
of  effect,  to  the  melody  of  verse,  and  the  natural  swell 
of  poetic  expression." 

7.  Median  stress  requires  a  prolongation  of  vowel  and 
liquid  sounds;  it  is  a  contrast  to  tlie  abruptness  of  the 
radical  stress.  It  prevails  in  combination  with  "pure 
tone"  and  the  "orotund." 


school  elocution.  167 

Median  Stkess  Dkill. 

1.  Repeat,  three   times,  the  long  vocals,  a,  e,  i,  5,  u : 

(1)  With   moderate    force   ami    effusive    median    stress. 

(2)  With  expulsive  median  stress.     (3)   With   increased 
force  and  expulsive  median  stress. 

2.  In  the  same  manner  repeat,  four  times,  the  vocals, 
e,  a,  a,  a,  o,  o. 

3.  Count  from  one  to  twenty,  with  soft  force  and 
effusive  median  stress ;  with  loud  force  and  expulsive 
median  stress. 

4  liepeat,  three  times,  the  following  words  with  ex- 
pulsive median  stress :  all,  call,  ball,  tall,  hall,  pall. 

5.  Eepeat  four  times,  in  monotone,  with  full  swell  on 
the  prolonged  /,  the  following  :  bells,  bells,  bells,  bells, 
bells. 

Examples   of  Median  Stress. 

1.    Roll  on,  thou  deep  and  dark  blue  ocean,  roll! 

2.    Ye  winds,  ye  unseen  currents  of  the  air. 
Softly  ye  played  a  few  brief  hours  ago. 

3.  The  curfew  tolls  the  knell  of  parting  day. 

4.  Hail !   holy  light,  offspring  of  heaven,  first-born. 

5.  The  rivers,  lakes,  and  ocean,  all  stood  still. 

6.  Sweet  Auburn!   loveliest  village  of  the  plain. 

7.  Was  it  the  chime  of  a  tiny  bell 

That  came  so  sweet  to  my  dreaming  ear  ? 
Like  the  silvery  tones  of  a  fairy's  shell 

That  he  winds  on  the  beach,  so  mellow  and  clear. 

8.    Ring  out  the  old,  ring  in  the  new. 
Ring,  happy  bells,  across  the  snow. 


168  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

9.    0  Lord,  thou  art  clothed  with  honor  and  majesty. 

10.   And  where  her  sweetest  theme  she  chose, 

A  soft,  responsive  voice  was  heard  at  every  close, 
And  Hope,  enchanted,  smiled  and  waved  her  golden  hair. 

11.   These  are  thy  glorious  works,  parent  of  good. 
Almighty  !   Thine  this  universal  frame. 

12.  Then  the  angel  threw  up  his  glorious  hands  to 
the  heaven  of  heavens,  saying :  "  End  is  there  none  to 
the  universe  of  God.     Lo  !   also,  there  is  no  beginning." 

13.  Peal  out  evermore, 

Peal  as  ye  pealed  of  yore. 
Brave  old  bells,  on  each  Sabbath  day. 

14.  I  heard  the  bells  on  Christmas  Day 
Their  old,  familiar  carols  play, 

And  wild  and  sweet. 
The  words  repeat 
Of  peace  on  earth,  good-will  to  men! 

15.  Thou,  too,  sail  on,  0  Ship  of  State ! 
Sail  on,  0  Union,  strong  and  great ! 

16.    These  struggling  tides  of  life  that  seem 
In  wayward,  aimless  course  to  tend, 
Are  eddies  of  the  mighty  stream 

That  rolls  to  its  appointed  end.  bryant. 

17.    From  the  wall  into  the  sky. 

From  the  roof  along  the  spire : 
Ah,  the  souls  of  those  that  die 
Are  but  sunbeams  lifted  higher.      Longfellow. 

18.    So  shall  our  voice  of  sovereign  choice 
Swell  the  deep  bass  of  duty  done, 
And  strike  the  key  of  time  to  be, 

"When  God  and  man  shall  speak  as  one ! 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  169 

19.    Ah,    distinctly   I   retnember,    it    was   in    the    bleak 

December, 
And  each  separate  dying  ember  wrought  its  ghost 

upon  the  floor. 
Eagerly  I  wished  the  morrow :  vainly  I  had  sought 

to  borrow 
From  my  books  surcease  of  sorrow — sorrow  for  the 

lost  Leuore — 
For  the  rare  and  radiant  maiden  whom  the  angels 

name  Lenore — 

Nameless  here  for  evermore.  poe. 

20.    0  Babie,  dainty  Babie  Bell, 

How  fair  she  grew  from  day  to  day ! 

What  woman-nature  filled  her  eyes — 

What  poetry  within  them  lay  ! 

Those  deep  and  tender  twilight  eyes. 

So  full  of  meaning,  pure  and  bright, 

As  if  she  yet  stood  in  the  light 

Of  those  oped  gates  of  Paradise.         aldrich. 

21.       Tlie  splendor  falls  on  castle  walls 

And  snowy  summits  old  in  story: 
The  long  light  shakes  across  the  lakes. 
And  the  wild  cataract  leaps  in  glory. 
Blow,  bugle,  blow ;  set  the  wild  echoes  flying ; 
Blow,  bugle ;  answer,  echoes — dying,  dying,  dying. 

Tenntsou. 

22.    By  the  rude  bridge  that  arched  the  flood, 
Their  flag  to  April's  breeze  unfurled. 
Here  once  the  embattled  farmers  stood. 
And  fired  the  sliot  heard  round  the  ivorld. 

Emerson. 

23.   Down  the  dark  future,  through  long  generations, 

The  echoing  sounds  grow  fainter,  and  then  cease ; 
And  like  a  bell,  with  solemn,  sweet  vibrations, 
I  hear  once  more  the  voice  of  Christ  say,  "Peace  1" 


170  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Peace !   and  no  longer  from  its  brazen  portals 

The  blast  of  War's  great  organ  shakes  the  skies ! 

But  beautiful  as  songs  of  the  immortals, 

The  holy  melodies  of  love  arise.  lon-giellow. 

24.  Youth  longs  and  manhood  strives,  but  age  remem- 

bers— 
Sits  by  the  raked-up  ashes  of  the  past; 
Spreads  its  thin  hands  above  the  whitening  embers 
That  warm  its  creeping  life-blood  till  the  last. 

But  0  my  gentle  sisters !  0  my  brothers ! 

These  thick-sown  snow-flakes  hint  of  tod's  release; 
These  feebler  pulses  bid  me  leave  to  others 

The  tasks  once  welcome — evening  asks  for  peace. 

Time  claims  his  tribute ;  silence  now  is  golden ; 

Let  me  not  vex  the  too  long-suffering  lyre ; 
Though  to  your  love  untiring  still  beholden, 

Tlie  curfew  tells  me — cover  up  the  fire.       holmes. 

25.  0,  a  M'onderl'ul  stream  is  the  river  Time, 

As  it  runs  through  the  realm  of  tears. 
With  a  faultless  rhythm  and  a  musical  rhyme, 
And  a  boundless  sweep  and  surge  sublime, 

As  it  blends  with  the  Ocean  of  Years.        taylob. 

26.       THE    WEDDING    BELLS. 

\_Read  this  stanza  with  pure  tone,  middle  pitch,   slow  viovemcnt,  and 
orotund  quality.] 

Hear  the  mellow  wMdiiig-hi'lh — gulden  bells ! 
What  a  world  of  happiness  their  liarmony  foretells  ! 
Through  tlic  balmy  air  of  night,  how  they  riny  out  their 
delight ! 

Fi-om  the  molten-golden  notes. 

All  in  tune, 
What  a  liquid   ditty  floats 
To  the  turtle-dove  that  listens,  while  she  gloats 
On  the  moon  ! 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  171 

Oh,  from  out  the  sounding  cdlls, 
"'\''hat  a  gush  of  euphony  voluminously  wfells  ! 

How  it  swells,  how  it  dwells 
On  the  Future !     How  it  tells  of  the  rapture  that  impels 
To  the  swintjjing  and  the  ringing  of  the  bells,  bells,  bells, 

O  O  O  O  7  7  7 

Of  the  bells,  bells,  bells,  bells,  bells,  bells,  bells — 

To  the  rhyming  and  the  chiming  of  the  bells.  poe. 

27.  INVOCATION  TO   LIGHT. 

[Read  the  following  selection   with   orotund  quality,   slow  movement, 
and  strong  force.'] 

Hail !   holy  Light — offspring  of  Heaven,  first-born. 

Or  of  the  Eternal,  co-eternal  beam ; 

May  I  express  thee  unblamed  ?   since  God  is  light, 

And  never  but  in  unapproachdd  light. 

Dwelt  from  eternity — dwelt  then  in  thee, 

Bright  effluence  of  bright  Essence  increate ! 

Or  hear'st  thou,  ratlier,  pure  ethereal  stream, 

Whose  fountain  who  shall  tell  ? — Before  the  sun, 

Before  the  heavens  thou  wert,  and,  at  the  voice 

Of  God,  as  with  a  mantle,  didst  invest 

The  rising  world  of  waters,  dark  and  deep. 

Won  from  the  void  and  formless  infinite.  milton. 

28.  LIBERTY    OF    THE    PRESS. 

1.  The  liberty  of  the  press  is  tlie  highest  safeguard 
to  all  free  government.  Ours  could  not  exist  without 
it.  It  is  like  a  great,  exulting,  and  abounding  river. 
It  is  fed  by  the  dews  of  heaven,  which  distill  their 
sweetest  drops  to  form  it.  It  gushes  from  the  rill,  as 
it  breaks  from  the  deep  caverns  of  the  earth.  It  is 
augmented  by  a  thousand  affluents,  that  dash  from  the 
mountain  top,  to  separate  again  into  a  thousand  boun- 
teous and  irrigating  streams  around. 

2.  On  its  broad  bosom  it  bears  a  thousand  barks. 
There  genius  spreads  its  purpling  sail.  There  poetry 
dips    its    silver    oar.     There    art,    invention,    discovery, 


172  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

science,  morality,  religion,  may  safely  and  securely  float. 
It  wanders  through  every  land.  It  is  a  genial,  cordial 
source  of  thought  and  inspiration,  whatever  it  touches, 
whatever  it  surrouiids.  Upon  its  borders  there  grows 
every  flower  of  grace,  and  every  fruit  of  truth.         baker. 

29.       FROM   THE   BOOK   OF    P.SALMS. 

Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul.  0  Lord  my  God,  Thou 
art  very  great ;  Thou  art  clothed  Vv'ith  honor  and  majesty : 
who  coverest  thyself  with  light  as  with  a  garment;  who 
stretchest  out  the  heavens  like  a  curtain ;  who  layeth 
the  beams  of  His  chambers  in  the  waters;  who  maketh 
the  clouds  His  chariot ;  who  walketh  upon  the  wings  of 
the  wind;  who  laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth,  that 
it  should  not  be  removed  forever. 

30.      OSSIAX'S   ADDRESS   TO   THE   SUN. 

O  thou  that  rollest  above,  round  as  the  shield  of  my 
fathers !  whence  are  thy  beams,  O  sun  !  thy  everlasting 
light  ?  Tliou  comest  forth  in  thy  awful  beauty ;  the 
stars  hide  tliemselves  in  the  sky  ;  the  moon,  cold  and 
pale,  sinks  in  tlie  western  wave.  But  tliou  thyself 
movest  alone :   who  can  be  a  companion  of  thy  course  ? 

IIL     VANISHING   STRESS. 

1.  Tlie  vanishing  or  terminal  stress  is  used  when  the 
force  of  voice  hangs  upon  the  final  part  of  a  word.  It 
corresponds  to  the  crescendo  in  music.  It  is  a  form  of 
stress  expressive  of  very  strong  emphasis,  and  is  often 
combined  with  the  rising  or  falling  circumflex. 

2.  Used  with  a  moderate  degree  of  force,  this  stress 
is  applied  in  the  expression  of  petulance,  of  peevish- 
ness, of  impatience,  of  willfulness,  and  of  querulous 
complaint ;  combined  with  strong  force,  it  is  applied  to 
express  persistent  determination,  astonishment,  amaze- 
ment, and  horror. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  173 

3.  Concerning  the  use  of  this  stress,  Prof.  Russell 
remarks :  "  Like  all  other  forms  of  impassioned  utter- 
ance which  are  strongly  marked  in  the  usages  of  natural 
habit,  this  property  of  voice  is  indispensable  to  appropri- 
ate elocution,  whether  in  speaking  or  reading.  Without 
'vanishing  stress,'  declamation  will  sometimes  lose  its 
manly  energy  of  determined  will,  and  become  feeble  song 
to  the  ear.  High-wrought  resolution  can  never  be  ex- 
pressed without  it.  Even  the  language  of  protest,  though 
respectful  in  form,  needs  the  aid  of  the  right  degree  of 
vanishing  stress,  to  intimate  its  sincerity  and  its  firm- 
ness of  determination,  as  well  as  its  depth  of  conviction. 

4.  "  But  when  we  extend  our  views  to  the  demands 
of  lyric  and  dramatic  poetry,  in  which  high-wrought 
emotion  is  so  abundant  an  element  of  effect,  the  full 
command  of  this  property  of  voice,  as  the  natural  utter- 
ance of  extreme  passion,  becomes  indispensable  to  true, 
natural,  and  appropriate  style." 

EXAMPLES. 

[The   italicized  words  have  the  vanishing  stress,  and   are  marked  vnth 
tJie  circumflex  inflection.] 

1.  I  know  we  do  not  mean  to  submit.  We  never  shdll 
submit. 

2.  Earth  may  hide,  waves  engulf,  fire  consume  us. 
But  they  shdll  not  to  sldvcry  doom  us. 

3.  I'll  have  my  bond;  I  will  not  hear  thee  speak: 
I'll  have  my  bond:  and  therefore  speak  no  more. 

4.  But  they  shdll  go  to  school.  Do  n't  tell  me  they 
shouldn't.  (You  are  so  dgfiravating.  Caudle,  you'd  spoil 
the  temper  of  an  dngel !)  They  shdll  go  to  school :  mark 
that !  and  if  they  get  their  dmths  of  cold,  it 's  not  my 
fault ;  /  did  nH  lend  the  umbrllla. 

5.    "  Be  that  word  our  sign  of  parting,  bird  or  fiend"  I 
shrieked,  upstarting ; 


174  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

"Get   thee   hack   into    the    tempest,    and    the    night's 
Phitonian  shore  ! 
Leave   no    black    phuue   as  a   token   of   that  lie   thy 

soul  hath  spoken  ! 
Leave   my  loneliness  uribrhken  !  qitU    the  bust  above 

my  dbor  ! 
Take  thy  heak  from  out  my  hmrt,  and  take  thy  form 
from  off  my  door  ! " 

Quoth  the  Eaven,  "Nevermore." 

6.       FROM    GKATTAN'S    SPEECH. 

Here  I  stand  for  impeachment  or  trial.  I  ddre  accu- 
sation !  I  defy  the  honorable  gentleman  !  I  defy  the 
government !  I  defy  their  whole  phalanx  !  Let  them  come 
forth  ! 

7.       FROM     WEB-^iTER. 

On  such  occasions,  I  will  place  myself  on  the  extreme 
boundary  of  my  right,  and  bid  defiance  to  the  arm  that 
would  push  me  i'rom  it. 

8.     THE   Seminole's   reply. 
I  loathe  ye  in  my  bosom, 

I  scorn  ye  with  mine  eye, 
I  '11  tauut  ye  with  my  latest  breath, 

And  ftght  ye  till  I  die.  patten. 

9.       RIEXZI. 

I  come  not  here  to  talk.     Ye  know  too  well 
The  story  of  our  thrdlldom.     We  are  slaves  ! 
The  bright  sun  rises  to  his  course  and  liglits 
A  race  of  slaves !     He  sets,  and  his  last  beam 
Fdlls  on  a  slave.  mitiord. 

10.       RRUTUS    TO    CASSIUS. 

Fret,  till  your  proud  heart  brchk ; 

Go,  show  your  slaves  how  choleric  you  are, 

And  make  your  liuiulsnifu  tremble.     Must  /budge? 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION,  175 

Must  /  observe  you  ?    Must  I  stand  and  crouch 
Under  youi-  testy  humor  ?     By  the  gods, 
You  shall  digest  the  venom  of  your  spleen, 
Though  it  do  split  you ;  for,  from  this  day  forth, 
I  '11  use  you  for  my  mirth,  yea,  for  my  Idughter, 
When  you  are  tvdsjnsh.  shakespeabbl 


IV.     THOEOUGH  STEESS. 

Thorough  or  through  stress  corresponds  to  the  organ 
tone  in  music.  Tlie  force  is  powerful  enough  to  per- 
vade an  entire  word  or  sound  —  the  beginning,  the 
middle,  and  the  end.     It  is  indicated  thus:  (  =  ). 

Thorough  stress  prevails  in  vehement  declamation 
and  impassioned  oratory  when  the  speaker  is  under  the 
sway  of  intense  excitement.  It  is  also  used  in  calling 
or  shouting,  when  the  voice  is  rolled  out  in  a  full  and 
steady,  stream. 

Carried  to  excess,  this  stress  is  characteristic  of  rant, 
bombast,  and  the  worst  faults  of  untrained  speakers. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.    Vanguard !  to  right  and  left  the  front  unfold. 

2.  Peal !  peal !  peal ! 

Bells  of  brass  and  bells  of  steel. 

3.  "To  all  the  truth  we  tell!  we  tell!" 
Shouted  in  ecstasies  a  bell. 

4.    And  like  a  silver  clarion  rung, 

"  Excelsior." 

5.  Advance  your  standards !  draw  your  willing  swords. 

6.  Forward  the  light  brigade ! 

7.  Clang !   clang !   clang !   the  massive  anvils  rang. 

8.  "Ship  ahoy!  ship  ahoy!"  shouted  the  captain. 

9.  Shoulder — arms  !     i^orward  march  !     Halt  ! 


176  SCHOOL     ELOCUTION. 

10.  Cliargc  for  the  guus  !     Charge  I  Charge  / 

11.  Then  rose  the  awful  cry,  "  Fire  !  fire  !  fire  ! " 

12.  Halloo!  ho-o-o-o!   come  here!     Halloo! 

13.  Hurrah!  hurrah!  for  the  fiery  fort  is  ours; 

Victory  !   Victory  !   Victory  I 

14.  Liberty  !  freedom  !     Tyranny  is  dead  ; 

Run  hence,  proclaim,  cry  it  about  the  streets ! 

15.    Rejoice,  ye  men  of  Anglers !  ring  your  bells ; 

King  John,  your  king  and  England's,  doth  approach. 
Open  your  gates,  and  give  the  victors  way ! 

16.    "0,  spare  my  child,  my  joy,  my  pride! 
0,  give  me  hack  my  child!"  she  cried; 
"My  child !  my  child  ! "  with  sobs  and  tears, 
She  shrieked  upon  his  callous  ears. 

17.    "Nine,"  by  the  cathedral  clock! 

Chill  the  air  with  rising  damps ; 
Drearily  from  block  to  block 

In  the  gloom  the  bell-man  tramps — 
"  Child  lost  !     Child  lost  ! 

Blue  eyes,  curly  hair. 
Pink  dress — child  lost  !  " 

18.    Body  of  turkey,  head  of  owl, 

Wings  a-droop  like  a  rained-on  fowl, 
Feathered  and  rullied  in  every  part. 
Skipper  Ireson  stood  in  tlie  cart. 
Scores  of  women,  old  and  young, 
Strong  of  muscle,  and  glib  of  tongue, 
Pushed  and  pulled  up  the  rocky  lane, 
Shouting  and  singing  the  shrill  refrain  : 
"  Here 's  Flud  Oirson,  fur  his  horrd  Jwrrt, 
Torr'd  an'  futherr'd  an'  corr'd,  in  a  corrt. 
By  the  women  o'  MorUe'ead  ! " 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  177 

19.       FITZ-JAMES'S    DEFIANCE. 

Come  6nc,  come  (ill  !  this  7'bck  shall  fly 
From  its  firm  base  as  soon  as  1.  scon. 

20.      THE   AMERICAN   FLAG. 

Flag  of  the  free  heart's  hojje  and  home  ! 

By  angel  hands  |  to  valor  given ; 
Thy  stars  |  have  lit  the  welkin  ddme. 

And  all  thy  hues  \  were  born  in  heaven. 
Forever  float  |  that  standard  sheet ! 
'  Where  breathes  the  f6e  \  but  falls  hefore  us, 
"With  Freedom's  soil  \  beneath  our  feet, 

And  Freedom's  hdmicr  \  streaming  o'er  us  I 

Drake. 
21.     MOLOCH. 

He  called  so  loud,  that  all  the  hollow  deep 
Of  hell  resounded. 

"  Princes  !     Potentates  ! 
Wd,rriors  !  the  flower  of  heaven,  once  yours,  now  lost, 
If  such  astonishment  as  tins  can  seize  | 
Eterncd  spirits;  or  have  ye  chosen  this  place 
To  rest  your  wearied  virtue,  for  the  ease  \  ye  find  | 
To  slumber  here,  as  in  the  vales  of  heaven  ? 
Or  I  in  this  ahject  2y<^sture  |  have  you  sworn  | 
To  adbre  the  Conqueror,  who  now  beholds  | 
Cherub  and  seraph  |  rolling  in  the  flood, 
With  scattered  arms  and  ensigns;  till,  anon, 
His  swift  pursuers,  from  heaven's  gates  |  discern  | 
The  advantage,  and  descending,  tread  us  dbion  | 
Thus  drbojnng ;  or  with  linked  thunderbolts  \ 
Tramflx  us  to  |  the  bottom  of  this  gulf  ? 
Awake  I  arise  !  or  be  forever  fhllen  !  "  milton. 

22.       PEUORATION   OF   WEBSTER's    REPLY   TO    HATNE. 

The   scene   in    the   Senate    Chamber   of    the    United   States,    as   "Web- 
ster  delivered   this   peroration,    is   thus   described   by   C.    "W.    March: 
The    exultincr    rush    of    feeling    with    which    he    went    through    the 
12 


1/8  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

peroration  threw  a  glow  over  his  countenance,  like  inspiration — 
eye,  brow,  each  feature,  every  line  of  his  face  seemed  touched  as 
with  a  celestial  fire.  The  swell  and  roll  of  his  voice  struck  upon 
the  ears  of  the  spell-bound  audience,  in  deep  and  melodious 
cadence,  as  waves  upon  the  shore  of  the  far-sounding  sea.  The 
Miltonic  grandeur  of  his  words  was  the  fit  expression  of  his  thought 
and  raised  his  hearers  up  to  his  theme.  His  voice,  exerted  to  its 
utmost  power,  penetrated  ever}'  recess  and  corner  of  the  Senate — 
penetrated  even  the  ante-rooms  and  stair-ways,  as  he  pronounced 
in   the   deepest   tones   of    pathos    these   words   of    solemn    significance  : 

I  have  not  allowed  myself,  sir,  to  look  hcyond  the 
Union,  to  see  what  might  lie  hidden  in  the  dark  recess 
hclnncl.  I  have  not  coolly  weighed  the  chances  of  pre- 
serving lihcrty  when  the  bonds  that  unite  us  together 
shall  be  broken  asunder.  I  have  not  accustomed  myself 
to  hang  over  the  precipice  of  disunion,  to  see  whether, 
with  my  short  sight,  I  can  fathom  the  depth  of  the 
ahyss  below ;  nor  could  I  regard  him  as  a  safe  edunselor 
in  the  afiairs  of  this  gdvernment  whose  thoughts  should 
be  mainly  bent  on  considering,  not  how  the  Union  may 
be  best  preserved,  but  how  tolerable  might  be  the  condi- 
tion of  the  people  when  it  shall  be  bruhcn  7ip  and 
destrbijed.  While  the  Union  lasts,  M'e  have  high,  excit- 
ing, griitifying  prospects  spread  out  before  us,  for  us 
and  our  children.  Beyond  tlidt  I  seek  not  to  penetrate 
the  veil.  God  grant  that,  in  my  day  at  least,  that  cur- 
tain may  not  r\sc  !  Gbd  grant  that  on  my  vision  never 
may  be  opened  icliat  lies  behind !  When  my  eyes  shall 
be  turned  to  behold,  for  the  last  time,  the  sun  in  heaven, 
may  I  nbt  see  him  shining  on  the  broken  and  dishonored 
fragments  of  a  once  glorious  Uiiion';  on  States  dissevered, 
discordant,  belligerent;  on  a  land  rent  with  civil  feuds, 
or  drenched,  it  may  be,  in  fraternal  blood!  Let  their 
last  feeble  and  lingering  yldnec,  rather,  behold  the 
gorgeous  ensign  of  the  republic,  now  knoivn  and  honored 
throughout  the  Sarth,  still  full  high  advanced,  its  arms 
and    trophies    streaming    in    their   orighiol    Ulster,   not   a 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  179 

stripe  erased  or  polluted,  nor  a  single  star  obscured; 
bearing  for  its  motto,  no  such  miserable  interrdgatory  as 
"  What  is  all  this  tuorth .? "  nor  those  other  words  of 
delusion  and  folly,  "  Liberty  first,  and  Union  dfter- 
luards ;  hut  everywhere,  spread  all  over  in  characters  of 
living  light.  Mazing  on  all  its  ample  folds,  as  they  float 
over  the  sea  and  over  the  Icind,  and  in  every  ivind  under 
the  whole  heavens,  that  other  sentiment,  dear  to  every 
true  American  heart — Liberty  and  Union,  now  said  forever, 
one  and  inseparahle. 

23.      PERORATION      OF      BURKE's      SPEKCH     ON     THE      IMPEACHMENT      OF 
WARREN    HASTINGS. 

Of  this  famous  speecli  Macaulay  says  :  "  The  energy  and  pathos 
of  the  great  orator  extorted  expressions  of  unwonted  admiration 
from  all  ;  and,  for  a  moment,  seemed  to  pierce  even  the  resolute 
heart  of  the  defendant.  The  ladies  in  the  galleries,  unaccustomed 
to  such  displays  of  eloquence,  excited  by  the  solemnity  of  the  occa- 
sion, and  perhaps  not  unwilling  to  display  their  taste  and  sensibility, 
were  in  a  state  of  uncontrollable  emotion.  Handkerchiefs  were 
pulled  out  ;  smelling-bottles  were  handed  round ;  hysterical  sobs 
and  screams  were  heard,  and  some  were  even  carried  out  in  fits. 
At  length,  the  orator  concluded.  Eaising  his  voice,  till  the  old 
arches   of  Irish   oak   resounded,    he   said  : 

"  I  impeach  him  in  the  name  of  the  Commons  of  Great 
Britain  in  Farliament  assembled,  whose  parliamentary 
trust  he  1ms  abused. 

"  I  impeach  him  in  the  name  of  the  Commons  of  Great 
Britain,  whose  national  ehdraeter  he  has  dishonored. 

"  I  impeach  him  in  the  name  of  the  people  of  India, 
whose  laws,  rights,  and  liberties  he  has  subverted. 

"  I  impeach  him  in  the  name  of  the  people  of  India, 
whose  property  he  has  destroyed,  whose  country  he  has 
laid  waste  and  desolate. 

"I  impeach  him  in  the  name  of  human  nature  itself 
which  he  has  cruelly  outraged,  Injured,  and  oppressed,  in 
both  s^xes.     And  I  impeach  him  in  the  ndme  and  by  the 


180  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

virtue  of  those  eternal  Idws  of  jilstice,  which  ought  equally 
to  pervade  every  age,  condition,  rank,  and  situation,  in 
the  world." 

V.     COMPOUND   STPtESS. 

Compound  stress  is  a  combination  of  the  radical  and 
the  vanishing  stress  upon  the  same  Mord.  Indeed,  it 
may  be  considered  as  a  very  emphatic  form  of  the 
emotional  circumflex  inflection.  It  is  applied,  like  the 
circumflex,  to  express  extreme  astonishment,  irony,  sar- 
casm, mockery,  and  contempt.  It  is  the  stress  of  ex- 
treme emotion. 

In  the  following  examples,  the  words  upon  wliich  the 
compound  stress  falls  are  marked  with  the  circumflex 
inflection. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  Repeat,  three  times,  with  extreme  astonishment: 
ah  !   indeed  ! 

2.  Repeat,  three  times,  with  strong  emphasis  and  the 
falling  circumflex  :   eve,  ale,  arm,  all,  old,  ooze. 

3.  Repeat,  with  strong  force  and  the  rising  circumflex : 
a,  e,  i,  o,  u ;  the  same  with  the  falling  circumflex. 

4.   Banished  from  Eomc  !     What 's  baiiislied  but  set  free 
From  daily  contact  of  the  things  I  loathe  ? 
He  dares  not  touch  a  lidir  of  Catiline. 

5.  KING   JOHN. 

Gone  to  be  married.  !  gone  to  swear  a  'peace  ! 

False  blood  to  false  blood  joined  !  gone  to  be  friends  ! 

Shall  Louis  have  Blanche,  and  Blanclie  these  provinces? 

Shakespeare. 

6.  SPARTACTTS. 

Is  Sparta  dead  ?  Is  the  old  Grecian  spirit  frozen  that 
you  do  crouch  and  cower  like  a  belabored  hound  beneath 
his  master's  lasli  ? 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  181 

7.      JULIUS   C^SAR. 

Must  I  hiidfjfc? 
Must  /  observe  you  ?     Must  /  stand  and  crouch 
Under  your  testy  humor  ?     By  the  gods, 
You  shall  digest  the  venom  of  your  spleen 
Though  it  do  split  you  ;  for,  from  this  day  forth, 
I  '11  use  you  for  my  mirth,  yea,  for  my  laughter 

When   you   are   waspish  !  Shakespeare. 

8.      FROM  CICERO's  ACCUSATION   OF   VERRES. 

Is  it  come  to  this  ?  Shall  an  inferior  magistrate,  a 
gdvernor,  who  holds  his  whole  power  from  the  Roman 
people,  in  a  Eoman  province,  within  sight  of  Italy,  hind, 
scourge,  torture  with  fire  and  red-hot  plates  of  iron, 
and  at  last  put  to  the  infamous  death  of  the  cross,  a 
Roman  citizen  ? 


VI.    IXTERMITTENT   STRESS,  OR  THE  TREMOR. 

1.  Intermittent  stress,  or  the  tremor,  is  the  tremulous 
force  of  voice  upon  a  sound  or  a  word.  The  tremor  is 
characteristic  of  the  tottering  feebleness  of  old  age,  of 
the  weakness  of  sickness,  or  of  the  tones  of  a  person 
shivering  and  trembling  with  cold,  or  with  fear. 

2.  It  naturally  occurs  in  the  utterance  of  fear,  grief, 
joy,  sobbing,  and  laughter,  when  the  emotions  are  so 
strong  as  to  enfeeble  the  flow  of  breath.  In  extreme 
pathos,  the  voice  often  trembles  or  quickens  with  emotion. 

3.  This  form  of  stress  must  be  very  delicately  applied, 
for,  in  excess,  it  becomes  ridiculous. 

4.  Concerning  the  appropriate  application  of  this  form 
of  stress.  Prof.  Russell  remarks :  "  In  the  reading  or  the 
recitation  of  lyric  and  dramatic  poetry,  this  function  of 
voice  is  often  required  for  full,  vivid,  and  touching 
expression.  Without  its  appeals  to  sympathy,  and  its 
peculiar  power  over  the   heart,  many  of  the  most  beau- 


182  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

tiful  and  touching  passages  of  Shakespeare  and  Milton 
become  dry  and  cold.  Like  the  tremolo  of  the  accom- 
plished vocalist  iu  operatic  music,  it  has  a  charm,  for 
the  absence  of  which  nothing  can^  atoue — since  nature 
suggests  it  as  the  genuine  utterance  of  the  most  deli- 
cate and  thrilling  emotion. 

0.  "  The  perfect  command  of  tremor  requires  often- 
repeated  practice  on  elements,  syllables,  and  words,  as 
well  as  on  appropriate  passages  of  impassioned  lan- 
guage." 

Dkill  on  Tremor. 

1.  Inhale ;  give  the  tremulous  sound  of  long  a,  thus : 
a — a — a — a,  etc.,  prolonged  until  the  breath  is  exhausted. 

2.  In  a  similar  manner,  take  each  of  the  remaining 
long  vowel  sounds,  e,  i,  o,  u. 

3.  Take  a  similar  drill  on  ii;    on  a;   on  o. 

Examples  of  Tremor. 

1.       OLD    AGE. 

Pity  the  sorrows  of  a  jioor  old  man, 

Whose  trcinhling  limhs  have  home  him  to  your  door, 
Whose  days  are  dwindled  to  the  shortest  sjjan ; — 

Oh  !  give  relief ;  and  Heaven  will  Mess  your  store  ! 

2.       GAFFF.R   GRAY. 

"Ho!   why  dost  thou  shiver  and  shake.  Gaffer  Gray? 
And  why  does  thy  nose  look  so  blue  ?  " 

"'Tis  the  iccather  that's  cold, 

'Tis  I'm  grown  very  old, 
And  my  doublet  is  not  very  new ;    Well-a-day  ! " 

Wordsworth. 
3.      ni.i>  AGE. 

And  still  there  came  that  silver  tone. 

From  the  shriveled  lips  of  the  toothless  crone — 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION,  183 

Let  me  never  forget  to  my  dying  day 
The  tone  or  the  burden  of  her  lay — 

"  Passing  away  !  passing  away  !  "         pierpont. 

4.      LAUGHING   UTTERAXCE. 

1.   A  fool,  a  fool,  I  met  a  fool  in  the  forest; 
A  motley  fool,  a  miserable  varlet. 

2.    Oh !   then  I  see  Queen  Mab  hath  been  with  you. 

5.      SODBING. 

So  Mary  said,  and  Dora  hid  her  face 

By  Mary.     There  was  silence  in  the  room ; 

And  all  at  once  the  old  man  burst  in  sobs: — 

"  /  have  been  to  blame — to  blame  !     I  have  killed  my  son  ! 

I  have  killed  him — but  I  loved  him — my  dear  son  ! 

May  God  forgive  me  ! — /  have  been  to  blame. 

Kiss   me,    my   children  !  "  Tennyson's  Dora. 

6.      GOODY   BLAKE  AND   HARRY  GILL. 

She  prayed,  her  withered  hand  uprearing, 

While  Harry  held  her  by  the  arm — 
"God!   who  art  never  out  of  liearing, 

0  may  he  never  inore  be  ivarm  ! " 
The  cold,  cold  moon  above  her  head, 

Thus  on  her  knees  did  Goody  pray : 
Young  Harry  heard  what  she  had  said, 

And  icy  cold  he  turned  away. 

No  word  to  any  man  he  utters, 

Abed  or  up,  to  young  or  old  ; 
But  ever  to  himself  he  mutters, 

"Pool'  Harry  Gill  is  very  cold." 
Abed  or  up,  by  night  or  day, 

His  teeth  may  chatter,  chatter  still : 
Now  think,  ye  farmers  all,  I  pray. 

Of  Goody  Blake  and  Harry  Gill.       Wordsworth. 


184  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

7.       RIP   VAN   WINKLE. 

The  honest  man  could  contain  himself  no  longer.  He 
caught  his  daughter  and  her  child  in  his  arms.  "  /  am 
your  father  ! "  cried  he,  "  young  Bip  Van  Winkle  once — 
old  Bip  Van  Winkle  now  ! — Docs  nobody  knoiu  2>oor  Bip 
Van   Winkle  ?  "  irvino. 

8.      EXOCU   AKDEN. 

"  Enoch,  poor  man,  was  cast  away  and  lost." 
He,  shaking  his  gray  head  pathetically, 
Eepeated  muttering,  "  Cast  cijvay  and  lost ; " 
Again  in  deeper  inward  whispers,  "Lost!" 

Tennyson. 

9.       LITTLE    GllETCHEN. 

They   lifted   her   up   tearfully,    they   shuddered   as    they 

said, 
"  It  was  a  bitter,  bitter  night !   the  child  is  frozen  dead." 
The  angels  sang  their   greeting   for   one   more   redeemed 

from  sin. 
Men  said,  "  It  was  a  bitter  night ;  would  no  one  let  her 

in  ? " 

Eecapitulation  OF  Stress. 

1.  Tlie  radical  is  the  stress  of  animation,  of  earnest- 
ness, of  assertion,  of  command,  and  of  passion. 

2.  The  median  is  the  stress  of  sentiment,  of  p'^f^^os 
and  tenderness,  of  aive,  reverence,  sid>limity,  and  enthu- 
siasm. 

3.  Vanishing  stress  is  the  stress  of  very  strong  em- 
phasis, of  contempt  and  disdain,  of  willfulness,  petulance, 
and  impatience. 

4.  Thorough  stress  is  the  stress  of  impassioned  oratory, 
and  intense  dramatic  expr-ession. 

5.  The  comiwnnd  is  the  stress  of  the  circumflex  inflec- 
tion, of  irony,  sarcasm,  contempt,  and  astonishment. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  185 

6.    Tlie  tremor  is  the  stress  of  feebleness,  of  childishness, 
and  of  grief 

Stress  Drill. 

1.  Radical.     Attention,  all. 

2.  Ifedian.     All  in  one  mighty  sepulclier. 

3.  Vanishing.     All,  all  is  lost/     All  lost! 

4.  Thorough.     Come  one,  come  all  ! 

5.  Compound.     What  all,  are  they  all  lost  ? 

6.  Intermittent.     All  my  sons  are  dead,  all,  all  dead! 

Examples  of  Stress. 

RADICAI.. 

Hear  the  loud  alarum  hells — hrdzen  bells ! 

MEDIAN. 

Hear  the  mellow  wedding  bells — golden  bells ! 

VANISHING. 

I  '11  have  my  bond,  and  therefore  speak  no  more. 

THOROUGH. 

Awake  !   Arise  !    or  be  forever  fallen, 

COMPOUND. 

Gone  to  be  married  !  gone  to  swear  a  peaee  ! 

INTERMITTENT. 

Pity  the  sorrows  of  a  poor  old  man 

Whose  trembling  limbs  have  borne  him  to  your  door. 


186  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


CHAPTER   III. 

MOVEMENT. 


Introductory. 


1.  The  three  leading  divisions  of  movement,  rate,  or 
time,  in  reading,  are  slow,  moderate,  and  last.  These 
distinctions  are,  for  convenience,  subdivided  as  follows : 
1.  Moderate  (corresponding,  in  music,  to  andante).  2. 
Fast  (allegro).  3.  Very  fast  [iJresto).  4.  Slow  (culagio). 
5.    Very  slow  {largo). 

2.  Different  kinds  of  prose  and  verse  require  differ- 
ent rates  of  movement,  but  the  general  principle  that 
governs  all  reading  or  speaking  may  be  stated  as  fol- 
lows :  Read  sloiuly  enough  for  your  hearers  to  compre- 
hend, fully  and  easily,  what  is  read. 

3.  Good  extemporaneous  speakers  generally  have  a  slow 
and  deliberate  utterance,  because  they  take  time  to  think 
what  to  say.  They,  also,  give  their  hearers  time  to  think 
of  what  is  said  by  the  speaker. 

4.  The  liabit  of  slow  reading  may  be  acquired,  not 
by  a  drawling,  hesitating  utterance,  but  by  observing 
rhetorical  and  grammatical  pauses ;  by  prolonging  vocal 
and  liquid  sounds-,  and  by  taking  time  to  think  of  the 
meaning  of    what  is  read. 

5.  The  general  principles  governing  niovonient  ore 
well  expressed  in  the  following  extract  from  liussell's 
"American  School  Keader:"  "Every tiling  tender,  or  sol- 
emn, plaintive,  or  grave,  should  be  read  with  great 
moderation.     Everything    humorous    or    sprightly,  every- 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  187 

tliiug  witty  or  amusing,  should  be   read   in  a  brisk  and 
lively  manner. 

6.  "  Narration  should  be  generally  equable  and  flowing ; 
vehemence,  firm  and  accelerated;  auger  and  joy,  rapid; 
whereas  dignity,  authority,  sublimity,  reverence,  and  awe 
should,  along  with  deeper  tone,  assume  a  slower  movement. 

7.  "  The  movement  should,  in  every  instance,  be  adapted 
to  the  sense,  and  free  from  all  hurry  on  the  one  hand, 
or  drawling  on  the  other. 

8.  "  The  pausing,  too,  should  be  carefully  proportioned 
to  the  movement  or  rate  of  the  voice ;  and  no  change 
of  movement  from  slow  to  fast,  or  the  reverse,  should 
take  place  in  any  clause,  unless  a  change  of  emotion  is 
implied  in  the  language  of  the  piece." 

Movement  Deill. 

1.  Eepeat,  three  times,  the  long  vocals,  a,  e,  i,  o,  ii : 
(1)  With  low  pitch  and  very  slow  movement.  (2)  With 
middle  pitch  and  slow  movement.  (3)  With  moderate 
movement.  (4)  With  fast  movement.  (5)  With  very 
fast  movement. 

2.  Count  from  one  to  twenty :  (1)  With  slow  move- 
ment. (2)  With  moderate  movement.  (3)  W^ith  fast 
movement. 

3.  Repeat,  with  moderate  movement — 

The  day  is  done,  and  the  darkness 
Falls  from  the  wings  of  night 

As  a  feather  is  wafted  downwards 
From  an  eagle  in  his  flight. 

I.     Moderate  Movement. 

Moderate  movement  is  the  characteristic  rate  in  the 
reading  of  didactic,  descriptive,  or  narrative  composition, 
and  of  the  poetry  of  sentiment. 


188  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.       EiNGLISU    SCENERY. 

The  great  charm,  however,  of  English  scenery,  is  the 
moral  feeling  that  seems  to  pervade  it.  It  is  associated 
in  the  mind  with  ideas  of  hrder,  of  quiet,  of  sober,  well- 
established  principles,  of  hoary  usage,  and  reverend  ciLstom. 
Everything  seems  to  be  the  growth  of  ages  of  regular 
and  peaceful  existence.  The  neighboring  village,  with 
its  veueiuble  cottages,  its  public  green,  sheltered  by  trees, 
under  which  the  forefathers  of  the  present  race  have 
spdrted ;  the  antique  family  mansion,  standing  apart  in 
some  little  rural  domdin,  but  looking  down  with  a  pro- 
tecting air  on  the  surrounding  scene;  all  these  common 
features  of  English  landscape  evince  a  calm  and  settled 
security,  a  hereditary  transmission  of  home-bred  virtues 
and  local  attdclimenis,  that  speak  deeply  and  toucliingly 
for  the  moral  character  of  the  nation.  Irving. 

2.      THE   SEASONS    IN   SWEDEN. 

I  must  not  forget  the  suddenly  clianging  seasons  of 
the  northern  clime.  There  is  no  long  and  lingering 
spring  unfolding  leaf  and  blossom  one  by  6nc ;  no  long 
and  lingering  autumn,  pompous  with  many-colored  leaves 
and  the  glow  of  Indian  sumviers.  But  winter  and  sum- 
mer are  wonderful,  and  pass  into  each  other.  The  quail 
has  hardly  ceased  piping  in  the  c6rn,  when  whiter,  from 
the  folds  of  trailing  clduds,  sows  broadcast  over  the 
land,  sndw,  icicles,  and  rattling  hail. 

The  days  wane  apace.  Ere  long  the  sun  hardly  rises 
^  above  the  lion'zon,  or  does  not  rise  at  all.  The  moon 
and  the  stars  sliine  through  the  day  ;  only,  at  noon,  they 
are  pale  and  vmn,  and  in  the  southern  sky  a  red,  fiery 
glbw,  as  of  sit7iset,  burns  along  the  horizon,  and  then 
goes  but.  And  pleasantly,  under  the  silver  moon,  and 
under  the  silent,  solemn  stars,  ring  the  steel  shoes  of  the 
skaters  on  the  frozen  s^a,  and  vhices,  and  the  sound  of 

OCilS.  LONOFELLOW. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  189 

II.     Fast  Movement. 

Fast,  or  quick,  movement,  is  the  characteristic  rate  in 
the  expression  of  mirth,  fun,  humor,  gladness,  joy,  and 
haste. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.       PAUL    UEVERE's    ride. 

A  hurry  of  h6ofs  in  a  village  street, 

A  shape  in  the  mdonlight,  a  bulk  in  the  ddrh, 

And  beneath,  from  the  pebbles,  in  passing,  a  spark 

Struck  out  by  a  steed  that  flies  fearless  and  fldet : 

That  was  all !     And  yet,  through  the  gloom  and  the  light. 

The  fate  of  a  nation  was  r\ding  that  night ; 

And  the  spdrh  struck  out  by  that  steed,  in  his  fiight, 

Kindled  the  land  into  Jiame  with  its  heat.         Longfellow. 

2.    l'allegro. 
Haste  thee,  nymph,  and  bring  with  thee 
Jest  and  youthful  Jollity, 
Quips,  and  cranks,  and  wanton  vnlcs. 
Nods,  and  hecks,  and  wreathdd  smiles 
Such  as  hang  on  Hebe's  cheek, 
And  love  to  live  in  dimple  sleek; 
Sport  that  wrinkled  Care  derides, 
And  Laughter  holding  both  his  sides. 
Come,  and  trip  it  as  ye  go 
On  the  light  fantastic  toe ; 
And  in  thy  right  hand  lead  with  thee 
The  mountain  nymph,  sweet  Liberty.  milton. 

3.       ONCE   MORE. 

"  Will  I  come  ? "     That  is  pleasant !     I  beg  to  inquire 
If  the  gun  that  I  carry  has  ever  missed  fire  ? 
And  which  was  the  muster-roll — mention  but  one — 
That  missed  your  old  comrade  who  carries  the  gun ! 

You  see  me  as  always,  my  hand  on  tlie  lock, 
The  cap  on  the  nipple,  the  hammer  full  cock. 


190  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

It  is  rusty,  some  tell  me;   I  heed  not  the  scoff; 
It  is  battered  and  hruised,  but  it  always  goes  off ! 

"  Is  it  loaded  .? "     I  '11  het  you !     What  docs  n't  it  hold  ? 
Eammed  full  to  the  muzzle  with  memories  untold  ; 
Why,  it  scares  me  to  flir,  lest  tlie  pieces  should  fly 
Like  the  cannons  that  burst  on  the  Fourth  of  July ! 

Holmes. 
4.       IlIIYME   OF   THE   RAIL. 

Singing  through  the  forests, 

Eattling  over  ridoes, 
Shooting  under  arches, 

Rumbling  over  bridges  ; 
Whizzing  through  the  mountains, 

Buzzing  o'er  the  vale. 
Bless  me  !   this  is  pleasant, 

Elding  on  the  rail!  saxe. 

5.      THE  MAY  QUEEN. 

You  must  wake  and  call  me  early,  call  me  early,  mother 

dear; 
To-morrow  '11  be  the  happiest  time  of  all  the  glad  New 

Year ; 
Of  all  the  glad  New  Year,  mother,  the  maddest,  merriest 

day ; 
For   I'm   to    be   Queen  o'  the   May,  mother,  I'm   to  be 

Queen  o'  the  May.  tennyson. 

6.  THE   MESSAGE. 

The  muster-place  is  Lanrick  mead  ; 
Speed  forth  the  signal !   Norman,  sjjeed  ! 
The  summons  dread  brooks  no  delay. 
Stretch  to  the  race — away  !  away  !  scon. 

7.  THE    SUMMONS. 

Come  as  the  winds  come,  when  forests  are  rended ; 
Come  as  the  waves  come,  when  navies  are  stranded. 
Faster  come,  faster  come,  faster  and  faster : 
Chief,  vassal,  page,  and  groom,  tenant  and  master. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION".  191 

Fast  they  come,  fast  they  come  ;   see  liow  they  gather ! 
Wide  waves  the  eagle  phime,  blended  with  heather. 
Cast  your  plaids,  draw  your  blades,  forward  each  man  set ; 
Pibroch  of  Doiuiil  Dhu,  knell  for  the  onset !  scott. 

8.       THE    SMILING    LISTENEK. 

Precisely.     I  see  it.     You  all  want  to  say 

That  a  tear  is  too  sad  and  a  smile  is  too  gay ; 

You  could  stand  a  faint  smile,  you  could  manage  a  sigh, 

But  you  value  your  ribs,  and  you  do  n't  want  to  cry. 

It's  awful  to  tliink  of — how  year  after  year 
With  his  piece  in  his  pocket  he  waits  for  you  here ; 
Xo  matter  who 's  missing,  there  always  is  one 
To  lug  out  his  manuscript,  sure  as  a  gun. 

III.     Very  Fast  Movement. 

Very  fast  movement  is  expressive  of  hurry,  alarm, 
confusion,  flight,  ecstatic  joy,  and  ungovernable  rage 
and  fury. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.       MAZEPPA. 

Av-dy  ! — aioay  ! — and  on  we  dash  ! — 
Torrents  less  rapid  and  less  rash. 

Aivdy,  aivdy,  my  steed  and  I, 
Upon  the  pinions  of  the  ivlnd., 
All  human  dwellings  left  behind  ; 

We  sped  like  meteors  through  the  sJcy, 
When  with  its  crackling  sound  the  night 
Is  chequered  with  the  northern  light.         byron. 

2.       HURRY. 

Sisters  !   hence,  with  spurs  of  speed  ! 

Each  her  thundering  falchion  wield ; 
Each  bestride  her  sable  steed; 

Hurry !  hurry  to  the  field. 


192  SCHOOL    ELOCUTIOl^. 

3.      FLIGHT. 

Forth  from  the  pass  in  tumult  driven, 
Like  chaff  before  the  wind  of  heaven, 

The  archery  appear; 
For  life !  for  life  !   their  flight  they  ply ; 
While  shrink,  and  shckit,  and  battle-cry, 
And  plaids  and  bonnets  waving  high, 
And  br('iadswords  Hashing  to  the  sky, 

Are  maddening  in  the  rear.  scorr. 

4.      GOOD   NEWS. 

I  sprang  to  the  stirrup,  and  Joris,  and  he ; 

t  galloped,  Dirck  galloped,  we  galloped  all  thr^e ; 

"  Good  speed  !  "  cried  the  watch  as  the  gate-bolts  undrfew ; 

"  Speed  ! "  echoed  the  wall  to  us  galloping  through. 

Behind  shut  the  postern ;   the  lights  sank  to  rfest, 

And  into  the  midnight  we  galloped  abreast. 

Not  a  word  to  each  other ;   we  kept  the  great  pace, 
Ndck  by  ndck,  stride  by  stride,  never  changing  our  place ; 
I  turned  in  my  saddle  and  made  its  girths  tight, 
Then  shortened  each  stirrup  and  set  the  pique  right, 
liebuckled  tlie  clidck-strap,  chained  slacker  the  bit. 
Nor  galloped  less  steadily  Eoland  a  whit.  browning. 

5.       now    THE   OLD    HOr.SE   WOX   THE    BET. 

"  Bring  forth  the  horse  ! "     Alas  !   he  showed 

Not  like  the  one  Mazeppa  rode ; 

Scant-maned,  sharp-backed,  and  shaky-kneed. 

The  wreck  of  wliat  was  once  a  steed; 

Lips  tliin,  eyes  hollow,  stiff  in  joints, 

Yet  not  M'ithout  his  knowing  points. 

"  Go  ! " — Through  his  ear  the  summons  stung, 

As  if  a  battle-trump  had  rung; 

The  slumbering  instincts  long  unstirred 

Start  at  the  old  f  uniliar  word ; 

It  thrills  like  flame  through  every  limb — 

What  mean  his  twenty  years  to  him  ? 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  193 

The  savage  blow  his  rider  dealt 

Fell  on  his  hollow  flanks  unfelt ; 

The  spur  that  pricked  his  staring  hide 

Unheeded  tore  his  bleeding  side; 

Alike  to  him  are  spur  and  rein — 

He  steps  a  five-year-old  again ! 

Before  the  quarter-pole  was  passed, 

Old  Hiram  said,  "  He 's  going  fast." 

Long  ere  the  quarter  was  a  half, 

The  chuckling  crowd  had  ceased  to  laugh; 

Tighter  his  frightened  jockey  clung 

As  in  a  mighty  stride  he  swung, 

The  gravel  flying  in  his  track, 

His  neck  stretched  out,  his  ears  laid  back. 

His  tail  extended  all  the  while 

Behind  him  like  a  rat-tail  file ! 

Off  went  a  shoe — away  it  spun. 

Shot  like  a  bullet  from  a  gun ; 

The  quaking  jockey  shapes  a  prayer 

From  scraps  of  oaths  he  used  to  swear ; 

He  drops  his  whip,  he  drops  his  rein, 

He  clutches  fiercely  for  a  mane ; 

He'll  lose  his  hold — he  sways  and  reels — 

He  '11  slide  beneath  those  trampling  heels ! 

But  like  the  sable  steed  that  bore 

The  spectral  lover  of  Lenore, 

His  nostrils  snorting  foam  and  fire. 

No  stretch  his  bony  limbs  can  tire ; 

And  now  the  stand  he  rushes  by, 

And  "  Stop  him  !   stop  him  1 "   is  the  cry. 

Stand  back  !    he  's  only  just  begun — 

He 's  having  out  three  heats  in  one ! 

Now  for  the  finish  I     At  the  turn. 

The  old  horse — all  the  rest  astern — 

Comes  swinging  in,  with  easy  trot ; 

By  Jove  !   he  's  distanced  all  the  lot !  holmes 

13 


194  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

IV.    Slow  Movement. 

Slow  movement  prevails  in  the  utterance  of  praise 
and  adoration,  and  in  all  expression  when  the  mind  is 
under  the  intiuence  of  meditation,  grief,  melancholy, 
grandeur,  sublimity,  vastness,  or  power.  It  is  the 
characteristic  rate  of  thoughtful  and  powerful  oratory. 
In  slow  movement,  the  rhetorical  pauses  are  long,  and 
the  voice  dwells  on  the  licpiid  and  the  long  vowel 
sounds. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  ASTRONOMY. 

Generation  after  generation  has  rolled  awhy,  age  after 
age  has  swept  silently  hy ;  but  each  has  swelled,  by  its 
contributions,  the  stream  of  discovery.  Mysterious 
mdvements  have  been  unraveled ;  mighty  Idws  have  been 
revealed ;  ponderous  6rhs  have  been  weighed ;  6nc  barrier 
after  anoikcr  has  given  way  to  the  force  of  intellect ; 
until  the  mind,  majestic  in  its  strength,  has  mounted, 
stdp  by  stdp,  up  the  rocky  height  of  its  self-built 
pyramid,  from  whose  star-crowned  summit  it  looks  out 
upon  the  grandeur  of  the  universe  self-clothed  with  the 

prescience    of  a    God.  Mitchell. 

2.  THE    RAVEN. 

Ah,  distinctly  I  remember,  it  was  in  tlie  bleak  December, 
And  each  separate  dying  ember  wrought  its  ghost  upon 

the  floor : 
Eagerly  I  wished  the  morrow  ; — vainly  I  had  sought  to 

borrow 
From  my  books  surcease  of  sorrow — sorrow  for  the  lost 

Lenore — 
For  the  rare  and  radiant  maiden  whom  the  angels  name 

Lenore — 

Nameless  here  for  evermore. 

POB. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  195 

3.      THE  AXCIENT   MARINER. 

Alone,  alone,  all,  all  alone, 

Alone  on  the  wide,  wide  sea; 
And  never  a  saint  took  pity  on 

My  soul  in  agony. 

The  many  men,  so  beautiful ! 

And  they  all  dead  did  lie  ! 
And  a  thousand  thousand  slimy  things 

Lived  on — and  so  did  I. 

I  closed  my  lids  and  kept  them  close, 

Till  the  balls  like  pulses  beat ; 
For  the  sky  and  the  sea,  and  the  sea  and  the  sky 
Lay  like  a  load  on  my  weary  eye, 

And  the  dead  were  at  my  feet.  coleridge. 

4.      THE  HOUR   OF   DEATH. 

Leaves  have  their  time  to  fall, 
And  flowers  to  wither  at  the  north-wind's  breath. 

And  stars  to  set — but  all, 
Thou  hast  all  seasons  for  thine  own,  0  Death  ! 

Mrs.  Hemans. 
5.      TO   A   WATERFOWL. 

Whither,  midst  falling  dew, 

While  glow  the  heavens  with  the  last  steps  of  day, 
Far  through  their  rosy  depths  dost  thou  pursue 

Thy  solitary  way  ? 

Vainly  the  fowler's  eye 

Might  mark  thy  distant  flight  to  do  thee  wrong, 
As,  darkly  painted  on  the  crimson  sky, 

Thy  figure  floats  along.  Bryant. 

V.    Very  Slow  Movement. 

Very  slow  movement  prevails  in  the  expression  of  deep 
emotions,  such  as  awe,  reverence,  horror,  melancholy,  and 
grief. 


196  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

In  this  movement  the  rhetorical  and  grammatical 
pauses  are  very  long,  and  the  vowel  and  liquid  sounds 
are  dwelt  upon  and  prolonged. 

The  prevailing  inflection  in  this  movement  is  the 
monotone. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  Air,  earth,  and  sea  resound  his  praise  abroad. 

2.  EoU  on,  thou  deep  and  dark  blue  ocean,  roll. 

3.  Old  ocean's  gray  and  melancholy  waste. 

4.  Childless  and  crownless  in  her  voiceless  woe. 

5.  It  thunders !     Sons  of  dust,  in  reverence  bow. 

6.  Unto  Thee  I  lift  up  mine  eyes,  0  Thou  that  dwell- 
est  in  the  heavens. 

7.  Thou  hast  all  seasons  for  thine  owm,  0  Death  ! 

8.  Now  o'er  the  one  half  world 

Nature  seems  dead ;   and  wicked  dreams  abuse 

The  curtained  sleeper. 

Thou  sure  and  firm-set  earth. 

Hear  not  my  steps  which  way  tliey  walk,  for  fear 

The  very  stones  prate  of  my  whereabouts, 

And  take  the  present  horror  from  the  time 

Wliich  now  suits  with  it. 

9.       CARDINAL   WOLSEY. 

Farewell,  a  long  farewell,  to  all  my  greatness. 
This  is  the  state  of  man ;   to-day  he  puts  forth 
The  tender  leaves  of  hope,  to-morrow  blossoms, 
And  bears  his  blushing  honors  thick  upon  him; 
The  third  day  comes  a  frost,  a  killing  frost ; 
And  when  he  thinks,  good  easy  man,  full  surely 
His  greatness  is  a-ripening — nips  his  root, 
And  then  he  falls,  as  I  do.     I  have  ventured, 
Like  little  wanton  boys  that  swim  on  bladders, 
This  many  summers  in  a  sea  of  glory — 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  197 

But  far  beyond  my  depth;   my  liigh-blown  pride 
At  length  broke  under  me ;  and  now  has  left  me, 
Weary,  and  old  with  service,  to  the  mercy 
Of  a  rude  stream,  that  must  forever  hide  me. 

Shakespeare. 

10.       DREAM    OF    DARKNESS. 

The  crowd  was  famished  by  degrees.     But  two 

Of  an  enormous  city  did  survive, 

And  they  were  enemies.     They  met  beside 

The  dying  embers  of  an  altar-place, 

Where  had  been  heaped  a  mass  of  holy  things 

For  an  unholy  usage.     They  raked  up. 

And,  shivering,  scraped  with  their  cold,  skeleton  hands, 

The  feeble  ashes ;   and  their  feeble  breath 

Blew  for  a  little  life,  and  made  a  flame. 

Which  was  a  mockery.     Then  they  lifted 

Their  eyes  as  it  grew  lighter,  and  beheld 

Each  other's  aspects — saw,  and  shrieked,  and  died ; 

Even  of  their  mutual  hideousness  they  died. 

Unknowing  who  he  was,  upon  whose  brow 

Famine  had  written  Fiend.  byron. 

11.      HIAWATHA. 

0  the  long  and  dreary  Winter ! 
0  the  cold  and  cruel  Winter ! 
Ever  thicker,  thicker,  thicker 
Froze  the  ice  on  lake  and  river; 
Ever  deeper,  deeper,  deeper 
Fell  the  snow  o'er  all  the  landscape. 
Fell  the  covering  snow,  and  drifted 
Through  the  forest,  round  the  village. 

Longfellow. 

Examples  of  Movement, 

VERY  SLOW. 

Farewell,  a  long  farewell  to  all  my  greatness. 


198  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

SLOW. 

Alone,  alone,  all,  all  alone. 

MODERATE. 

There  was  a  sound  of  revelry  by  night. 

FAST. 

Come  and  trip  it  as  ye  go 
On  the  light  fantastic  toe. 

VERT  EAST. 

Hurry !  hurry  to  the  field ! 

Require  each  pupil  to  make  out  and  read  in  the  class  a  similar  set 
of  quoted  illustratioiis. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  199 

CHAPTER  IV. 

PITCH   OF  VOICE. 


I.  Introductoky. 

1.  Pitch,  or  key,  denotes  the  highness  or  lowness  of 
the  voice  in  tone.  The  range  of  the  voice  from  the 
lowest  to  the  highest  tone  is  called  its  compass. 

2.  The  compass  of  the  voice  among  readers  corre- 
sponds, in  some  degree,  to  the  tenor,  soprano,  contralto, 
and  bass,  among  singers ;  but  every  voice  has  its  own 
relatively  low,  middle,  and  high  tones. 

3.  For  every  one,  the  middle  pitch  is  that  tone  to 
which  the  voice  inclines  in  conversation,  or  in  unim- 
passioued  reading. 

4.  The  three  main  divisions  of  pitch  are  the  low,  the 
middle,  and  the  high;  but  tliese,  for  convenience,  are 
subdivided  into  very  low,  low,  middle,  high,  and  very 
high. 

5.  The  general  key  in  which  a  selection  should  be  read 
is  determined  by  the  general  sentiment  or  character  of 
the  piece. 

6.  In  order  to  avoid  monotony,  there  should  be  some 
sliglit  variation  of  pitch  at  the  beginning  of  each  suc- 
cessive paragraph  that  marks  a  new  topic  of  discourse, 
or  a  change  of  idea. 

7.  Law  pitch  is  the  tone  expressive  of  serious  thought, 
of  awe,  of  reverence,  of  adoration,  of  horror,  and  of 
despair. 

8.  Middle  pitch  is  the  tone  of  conversation,  and  of 
unimpassioned  narrative  or  descriptive  reading. 


200  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

9.  High  pitch  is  the  tone  of  gayety,  joy,  and  gladness ; 
of  courage  and  exultation;   and  of  shouting  and  calling, 

10.  Of  the  importance  of  drill  exercises  in  pitch,  Prof. 
Monroe  says :  "  One  of  the  commonest  faults  in  school 
reading,  and  in  the  delivery  of  many  public  speakers, 
is  a  dull  monotony  of  tone.  This  sameness  is  still  more 
disagreeable  to  the  ear  when  the  voice  is  kept  strained 
upon  a  high  key.  Not  less  unpleasant  is  an  incessant 
repetition  of  the  same  cant  or  sing-song.  Elocutionary 
rules  will  do  little  or  nothing  toward  removing  these 
faults.  Faithful  drill  is  needed,  under  the  guidance  of 
good  taste  and  a  correct  musical  ear.  To  this  must  be 
added  an  appreciation  of  the  sentiment  of  the  piece  at 
the  moment  of  utterance. 

11.  "When  the  organs  have  been  trained  to  freedom 
and  facility  in  all  degrees  of  the  musical  scale,  the 
pupil  will  find  it  easy  to  modulate  his  voice  in  reading. 
Vowels,  words,  and  sentences  should  be  practiced  with 
high,  middle,  and  low  pitch.  Having  these  tones  at  his 
command,  the  expressive  reader  will  vary  the  pitch  with 
every  shade  of  thought  or  emotion,  so  that  a  foreigner 
who  did  not  understand  a  word  might  listen  with  pleas- 
ure to  the  play  of  intonation.  Next  to  sweetness  of 
voice,  a  proper  melody  of  delivery  luis  the  greatest 
charm  to  the  hearer." 

11.     Concert  Drill  on  Pitch. 

1.  Sing  the  scale,  up  and  down :  do,  re,  mi,  fii,  sol, 
la,  si,  do. 

2.  Sing  the  scale  witli  the  long  vowel  sounds,  instead 
of  note  names :  a,  e,  i,  5,  u,  a,  e,  I. 

3.  Sound,  not  sing,  tlie  long  vowels,  a,  e,  I,  o,  ii,  on 
the  key  of  do ;   of  mi ;   of  sol ;   of  do. 

4.  Sound  tlie  long  vowels,  ii,  e,  i,  o,  u  :  (1)  With  low 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  201 

pitch.     (2)  With   middle    pitch.     (3)  With    high    pitch. 
(4)  With  very  high  pitch. 

5.  Count  from  one  to  twenty:  (1)  In  middle  pitch. 
(2)  With  low  pitch.     (3)  With  high  pitch. 

G.  Eepeat,  five  times,  the  word  "  all,"  beginning  with 
very  low  pitch,  and  rising  higher  with  each  successive 
repetition. 

III.    Faults  in  Pitch. 

1.  The  most  common  fault  in  school  reading  is  the 
high  pitch  known  as  the  conventional  "school  tone," 
which  grates  on  the  ear  like  the  filing  of  a  saw.  It 
arises  from  an  effort  to  read  in  a  loud  tone,  and  from 
a  habit  of  reading  without  any  regard  to  thouglit  or 
feeling.  This  fault  must  be  corrected  by  vocal  drill  on 
a  low  key. 

2.  A  common  fault,  particularly  of  girls,  is  that  of 
reading  with  feeble  force  and  low  pitch. 

3.  The  failure  to  adapt  the  pitch  to  the  sentiment  or 
emotion  of  wliat  is  read. 

IV.    Examples   of  the  Middle  Pitch. 

The  middle  pitch  is  the  natural  tone  of  ordinary  con- 
versation. It  is  the  appropriate  key  for  the  reading  of 
unimpassioned  narrative,  descriptive,  and  didactic  com- 
position. 

1.  Give  a  boy  address  and  accomplishments,  and  you 
give  him  the  mastery  of  palaces  and  fortunes  where  he 
goes. 

2.  Wisdom  is  better  than  riches. 

3.  Good  morning,  Mr.  Brown.  How  do  you  do  this 
morning  ? 

4.    For  all  a  rhetorician's  rules 

Teach  nothiu";  but  to  name  his  tools. 


202  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

5.  Marley  was  dead,  to  begin  with ;  there  is  no  doubt 
whatever  about  that.  Old  Marley  was  as  dead  as  a 
door-uail. 

6.      CONCORD   RIVER, 

We  stand  now  on  the  river's  brink.  It  may  well  be 
called  the  Concord — the  river  of  peace  and  quietness, — 
for  it  is  certainly  the  most  unexcitable  and  sluggish  stream 
that  ever  loitered  imperceptibly  towards  its  eternity,  the 
sea.  Positively,  I  had  lived  three  weeks  beside  it,  be- 
fore it  grew  quite  clear  to  my  perception  which  way 
the  current  flowed.  It  never  has  a  vivacious  aspect, 
except  when  a  north-western  breeze  is  vexing  its  sur- 
face, on  a  sunshiny  day. 

From  the  incurable  indolence  of  its  nature,  the  stream 
is  happily  incapable  of  becoming  the  slave  of  human 
ingenuity,  as  is  the  fate  of  so  many  a  wild,  free,  moun- 
tain torrent.  Wliile  all  things  else  are  compelled  to 
subserve  some  useful  purpose,  it  idles  its  sluggish  life 
away  in  lazy  liberty,  without  turning  a  solitary  spindle, 
or  affording  even  water-power  enough  to  grind  the  corn 

that   grows    upon    its    banks.  Hawthorne. 

7.      WOUTER   VAN  TWILLER. 

This,  by  the  way,  is  a  casual  remark,  which  I  would 
not,  for  the  universe,  have  it  thought  I  apply  to  Gov- 
ernor Van  Twiller.  It  is  true  he  was  a  man  shut  up 
within  himself,  like  an  oyster,  and  rarely  spoke  except 
in  monosyllables ;  but  then  it  was  allowed  he  seldom 
said  a  foolish  thing.  So  invincible  was  his  gravity  that 
he  was  never  known  to  laugh,  or  even  to  smile,  through 
the  whole  course  of  a  long  and  prosperous  life.  Nay, 
if  a  joke  were  uttered  in  his  presence,  that  set  liglit- 
minded  hearers  in  a  roar,  it  was  observed  to  throw  him 
into  a  state  of  perplexity.  Sometimes  he  would  deign 
to  inquire  into  the  matter,  and  when,  after  much  ex- 
planation, the  joke  was  made  as   plain  as  a  pike-staff, 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  203 

he  would  continue  to  smoke  his  pipe  in  silence,  and  at 
length,  knocking  out  the  ashes,  would  exclaim,  "Well, 
I  see  nothing  in  all  that  to  laugh  about."  irving. 

V.    Examples  of  High  Pitch. 

Joj,  mirth,  and  gayety  incline  the  voice  to  pure  tone 
and  high  pitch.  Calling  to  persons  at  a  distance  in- 
clines the  voice  to  high  pitch  and  pure  tone.  Anger, 
courage,  boldness,  and  exultation  incline  the  voice  to 
high  pitch  and  loud  force. 

1.    Sound  drums  and  trumpets,  boldly  and  cheerfully. 

2.    Eing  joyous  chords !  ring  out  again 
A  swifter  still  and  a  wilder  strain. 

3.   And  dar'st  thou,  then. 

To  beard  the  lion  in  his  den, 
The  Douglas  in  his  hall  ? 

4.    But  thou,  0  Hope,  with  eyes  so  fair, 
What  was  thy  delighted  measure  1 

5.       AXGER. 

Call  me  their  traitor ! — Thou  injurious  tribune ! 
Within  thine  eyes  sat  twenty  thSusand  deaths, 
In  thine  hands  clutched  as  many  millions,  in 
Thy  lying  tongue  huth  numbers,  I  would  say 
Thou  liest,  unto  thee,  with  a  voice  as  free 

As    1    do    pray    the   gods.  From  Conolanus. 

6.      VICTOIIY. 

They  strike  !   hurrah !   the  foe  has  surrendered ! 
Shout !   shout !   my  warrior  boy. 
And  wave  your  cap,  and  clap  your  hands  for  joy. 
Cheer  answer  cheer,  and  bear  the  cheer  about. 
Hurrah !   hurrah !   for  the  fiery  fort  is  ours. 

Victory  !   victory  !  victory  ! 


204  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


I  'm  with  you  once  again ! — I  call  to  yoa 
With  all  my  voice,  I  hold  my  hands  to  you, 
To  show  they  still  are  frh.     I  rush  to  you 
As  though  I  could  eiiibrdce  you. 

Tdl's  Address  to  the  Mountains. 
8.       CALLING   THE   COWS. 

When  over  the  hill  the  farm-boy  goes, 
Cheerily  calling, 
"  Co'  loss  I   cd  boss  !   cd  !   cd  !   cd  !  " 
Fartlier,  farther,  over  the  hill, 
Faintly  calling,  calling  still, 
"  Cd  boss  !   cd  loss  !  cd  !   cd  !   cd  ! "     trowbeidoe. 

9.     THE  watchman's  call. 
Ho  !    watchman,  ho  ! 

Twelve  is  the  clock ! 
God  keep  our  town 

From  fire  and  brand 

And  hostile  hand ! 
Twelve  is  tlie  clock ! 

10.      THE   .SILVER   BELLS. 

Hear  the  sledges  with  the  bells — 
Silver  bells 
What  a  world  of  merriment  their  melody  foretells  ! 
How  they  tinkle,  tinkle,  tinkle, 

In  the  icy  air  of  night! 
While  the  stars  that  overspriukle 
All  the  heavens,  seemed  to  twinkle 

With  a  crystalline  delight; 
Keeping  time,  time,  time. 
In  a  sort  of  Runic  rhyme, 
To  the  tintinnabulation  tliat  so  musically  wells 
From  tlie  bells,  bells,  bells,  bells. 
Bells,  bells,  bells— 
From  the  jingling  and  the  tinkling  of  the  bells,     poe. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  205 

11.      EXULTATION. 

Joy !  joy  forever !  my  task  is  done ; 

The  gates  are  passed,  and  heaven  is  won.     moore. 

12.      COMMAND    AND    SHOUTING. 

Advance  your  standards,  draw  your  wilhng  swords  ! 
Sound  drums  and  trumjyefs,  boldly  and  cheerfully .' 
God,  and  Saint  George  !  Bichmond  and  victory  ! 

13.      THE    CHARCOAL    MAN. 

Though  rudely  blows  the  wintry  blast, 
And  sifting  snows  fall  white  and  fast, 
Mark  Haley  drives  along  the  street, 
Perched  high  upon  his  wagon-seat ; 
His  somber  face  the  storm  defies, 
And  tb  us  from  morn  till  eve  he  cries : — 

"  Chared  !  chared  !  " 
While  echo  faint  and  far  replies : — 

"Hark,  01  harl%  0 !" 
"  Chared  !  " — "  Hark,  0  !  " — Such  cheery  sounds 
Attend  him  on  his  daily  rounds.  Trowbridge. 

14.      THE    LOST    HEIR. 

One  day,  as  I  was  going  by 
That  part  of  Holborn  christened  High, 
I  heard  a  loud  and  sudden  cry 
That  chilled  my  very  blood  ; 
"  0  Lord !  oh,  dear,  my  heart  will  break,  I  shall  go  stick 

stark  staring  wild ! 
Has  ever  a  one  seen  anything  about  the  streets  like  a 

crying,  lost-looking  child  ? 
The  last  time  as  ever  I  see  liim,  j)oor  thing,  was  with 

my  own  blessed  motherly  eyes. 
Sitting   as    good    as    gold    in    the    gutter,   a -playing    at 

making  little  dirt  pies. 
Billy — where  are  you,  Billy  ? — I  'rn  as  hoarse  as  a  crow, 
with  screaming  for  ye,  you  young  sorrow ! 


206  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION, 

And  sha'n't  have   half  a  voice,  no  more  I  sha'n't,  for 

crying  fresh  herrings  to-morrow. 
Billy — where   are  you,  Billy,   I  say  ?   come  Billy,  come 

home  to  your  best  of  mothers  ! 
I  'm  scared  when  I  think  of  them  cabroleys,  they  drive 

so,  they'd  run  over  their  own  sisters  and  brothers. 
Or  may  be  he 's  stole  by  some  chimbly-sweeping  wretch, 

.  to  stick  fast  in  narrow  flues  and  what  not. 
And  be  poked  up  behind  with  a  picked  pointed  pole,  when 

the  soot  has  ketched,  and  the  chimbly  's  red  hot. 
Oh,  I  'd  give  the   whole  wide   world,  if  the  world  was 

mine,  to  clap  my  two  longin'  eyes  on  his  face ; 
For  he 's  my  darliu'  of  darlin's,  and  if  he  do  n't  soon  come 

back,  you  '11  see  me  drop  stone-dead  on  the  place. 
I  only  wish  I  'd  got   him   safe    in   these   two   motherly 

arms,  and  would  n't  I  hug  him  and  kiss  him  ! 
Lawk !    I   never   knew    what  a  precious   he  M'as — but  a 

child  do  n't  feel  like  a  child  till  you  miss  him. 
Why,  there  he  is !     Punch  and  Judy  hunting,  the  young 

wretch ;  it 's  that  Billy  as  sartin  as  sin ! 
But  let  me  get  him  home,  witli  a  good  grip  of  his  hair, 

and  I  'm  blest  if  he  shall  have  a  whole  bone  in  his 

skin  !  "  Hood. 

15.      EXTR.VCTS    FROM    IIOOP's    "TALE    OF    A    TRUMPET." 

Of  all  old  women  hard  of  hearing, 

The  deafest,  sure,  was  Dame  Eleanor  Spearing  I 

On  lier  head,  it  is  true, 

Two  flaps  there  grew, 
That  ser\'ed  for  a  pair  of  gold  rings  to  go  through ; 
But  for  any  purpose  of  ears  in  a  parley, 
They  heard  no  more  than  ears  of  barley. 

However,  in  the  peddler  came, 

And  tlie  moment  he  met  tlie  eyes  of  the  dame. 

Popped  a  trumpet  into  her  ear: — 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  207 

"  There,  ma'am  !  try  it  ! 

You  need  n't  hiiy  it — 
The  last  new  patent — and  nothing  comes  nigh  it, 
For  affording  the  deaf,  at  httle  expense. 
The  sense  of  hearing,  and  hearing  of  sense ! 
A  real  blessing — and  no  mistake. 
Invented  for  poor  humanity's  sake; 
I  would  n't  tell  a  He,  I  would  n't, 

But  my  trumpets  have  heard  what  Solomon's  couldn't; 
Only  a  guinea — and  can't  take  less." 
{"That's  very  dear,"  says  Dame  Eleanor  S.) 

"There  was  Mrs.  F., 

So  very  d^.if, 
That  she  might  have  worn  a  percussion-cdj9. 
And  been  knocked  on  the  head  without  hearing  it  sn^p. 
Well,  I  sold  her  a  horn,  and  the  very  next  day 
She  heard  from  her  husband  at  Botany  Bay ! 
Come — speak  your  mind — it's  'No  or  Yes.'" 
("I've  half  a  mind"  said  Dame  Eleanor  S.) 

"  Try  it— buy  it  ! 

Biiy  it — try  it  ! 
The  last  new  patent,  and  nothing  comes  nigh  it." 
In  short,  the  peddler  so  besdt  her — 
Lord  Bacon  could  n't  have  gammoned  her  better — 
With  flatteries  plump  and  indirect, 
And  plied  his  tongue  Avith  such  efi'dct — 
A  tongue  tliat  could    almost  have  buttered  a  crumpet — 
The  deaf  old  ivoman  bought  the  fA'umjjet. 

16.      CONVERSATION   UNDER  DIFFICULTIES. 

[Each  supposes  the  other  to  be  very  deaf,  the  pitch  at  times  running 
into  screamiTUf.] 

Jones.  (Speaking  shrill  and  loud.)  Miss,  will  you  ac- 
cept these  flowers  ?  I  plucked  them  from  their  slumber 
on  the  hill. 

Fru.     (In  an  equally  high  voice.)     Eeally  sir,  I — I — 


208  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Jones.  {Aside.)  She  hesitates.  It  must  be  that  she 
does  not  hear  me.  {Increasing  his  tone)  Miss,  will  you 
accept  these  flowers — flowers  ?  I  plucked  them  sleep- 
ing ou  the  hill — hill. 

Pru.  {Also  increasing  her  tone.)  Certainly,  Mr.  Jones. 
They  are  beautiful — beau-u-tiful. 

Jones.  {Aside.)  How  she  screams  in  my  ear.  {Alond.) 
Yes,  I  plucked  them  from  their  slumber — slumber,  on 
the  hill — HILL. 

Fru.  {Aside.)  Poor  man,  what  an  effort  it  seems  for 
him  to  speak.  {Aloud.)  I  perceive  you  are  poetical. 
Are  you  fond  of  poetry  ?  {Aside.)  He  hesitates.  I 
must  speak  louder.  {In  a  scream.)  Poetry — poetry — 
POETEY ! 

Jones.  {Aside.)  Bless  me,  the  woman  would  wake  the 
dead  !     {Aloud.)     Yes,  Miss,  I  ad-o-r-e  it. 

Snob.  Glorious !  glorious !  I  wonder  how  loud  they 
can  scream.     Oh,  vengeance,  thou  art  sweet ! 

Pru.     Can  you  repeat  some  poetry — poetry  ? 

Jones.     I  only  know  one  poem.     It  is  this — 

You  'd  scarce  expect  one  of  m}'  age — Age, 
To  speak  in  public  on  the  stage — Stage. 

Pru.     Bravo — bravo  ! 

Jones.     Thank  you !     Thank 

Pru.     ]\Iercy  on  us  !     Do  you  think  I  'm  deaf,  sir  ? 

Jones.  And  do  you  fancy  mc  deaf.  Miss  ?  {Natural 
tone.) 

Pru.     Are  you  not,  sir  ?     You  surprise  me  ! 

Jones.  No,  IVIiss.  I  was  led  to  believe  that  you  were 
deaf.     Snobbleton  told  me  so. 

Pru.  Snol)bleton  !  Why,  he  told  me  that  you  were 
deaf. 

Jones.     Confound    the    fellow !    he    has   been    making 

game    of   us.  BeadU's  Dime  Speaker. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  209 

YI.    Examples  of  Low  Pitcil 

Low  pitch  is  the  characteristic  key  of  the  voice  when 
the  mind  is  under  the  influence  of  serious,  grave,  and 
impressive  thoughts ;  and  very  loiv  pitch  is  the  appro- 
priate key  for  the  expression  of  reverence,  adoration, 
horror,  and  despair. 

1.      FROM   THE    "RIME   OF  THE   ANCIENT   MARINER." 

An  orphan's  curse  woukl  drag  to  hell 

A  spirit  from  on  high ; 
But  oh !   more  horrible  than  that 

Is  the  curse  in  a  dead  man's  eye  ! 
Seven  days,  seven  nights  I  saw  that  curse. 

And  yet  I  could  not  die. 

2.       FROM    THE    "  RAVEN." 

Deep   into   that   darkness    peering,    long   I    stood    there, 

wondering,  fearing, 
Doubting,   dreaming    dreams    no    mortal    ever    dared    to 

dream  before ; 
But   the   silence   was   unbroken,   and   the   stillness  gave 

no  token, 
And   the   only   word   there    spoken    was    the   whispered 

word  "  Lenore  ! " 
This    I    whispered,   and    an    echo    murmured    back    the 

word  "  Lenore  !  " 

Merely  this,  and  nothing  more. 

3.      LATJS  DEO. 

Let  us  knfeel ; 
God's  own  voice  is  in  that  peal. 
And  this  spot  is  hhhj  ground. 
Lord,  forgive  us  !     What  are  wfe. 
That  our  eyes  this  giory  see, 
That  our  ears  have  heard  the  sound  !       whittikr. 
14 


210  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

4.      FROM  THE  PSALMS. 

He  bowed  the  heavens,  also,  and  came  down;  and 
darkness  was  under  his  feet;  and  he  rode  upon  a  cherub, 
and  did  fly ;  and  he  was  seen  upon  the  wings  of  the 
wind;  and  he  made  darkness  pavilions  round  about  him, 
dark  waters,  and  thick  clouds  of  the  skies. 

5.      THE   CHANDOS    PICTURE.  » 

The  bell  far  off  beats  midnight ;   in  the  dark 

The  sounds  have  lost  their   way,  and  wander  slowly 
Through   the  dead  air ;   beside  me   things  cry,  "  Hark ! " 
And  whisper  words  unholy.  edwabd  pollock. 

6.      THE   IRON   BELLS. 

Hear  the  tolling  of  the  bells — 
Iron  bells  ! 
What  a  world  of  solemn  thought  their  monody  compels! 
In  the  silence  of  the  night. 
How  we  shiver  with  affright 
At  the  melancholy  menace  of  their  tone ! 
For  every  sound  that  floats 
From  the  rust  within  their  throats 

Is  a  groan. 
And  the  people — ah,  the  people — 
They  that  dwell  up  in  the  steeple. 

All  alone ! 
And  who  tolling,  tolling,  tolling, 

In  that  muffled  monotone. 
Feel  a  glory  in  so  rolling 

On  the  human  heart  a  stone  ; 
They  are  neither  man  nor  woman — 
They  are  neither  brute  nor  hunian — ■ 

They  are  ghouls  ; 
And  their  king  it  is  who  tolls — 
And  he  rolls,  rolls,  rolls,  rolls, 
A  pa?au  from  the  bells ! 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  211 

And  his  merry  bosom  swells 
With  the  psean  of  the  bells ! 
And  he  dances  and  he  yells; 
Keeping  time,  time,  time, 
In  a  sort  of  Kunic  rhyme, 
To  the  paean  of  the  bells — 

Of  the  bells ! 
Keeping  time,  time,  time. 
In  a  sort  of  Runic  rhyme. 
To  the  throbbing  of  the  bells — 

Of  the  bells,  bells,  bells— 
To  the  sobbing  of  the  bells; 
Keeping  time,  time,  time. 

As  he  knells,  knells,  knells, 
In  a  happy  Runic  rhyme, 
To  the  rolling  of  the  bells — 

Of  the  bells,  bells,  bells, 
To  the  tolling  of  the  bells — 
Of  the  bells,  bells,  bells,  bells. 
Bells,  bells,  bells — 
To  the  moaning  and  the  groaning  of  the  bells  ! 

POH. 

VII.    EXA.MPLES  OF  Very  Low  Pitch. 

1.  Concerning  the  application  of  very  low  pitch  in 
reading  and  speaking.  Prof.  Russell  remarks :  "  This  low- 
est form  of  pitch  is  one  of  the  most  impressive  means 
of  powerful  natural  effect,  in  the  utterance  of  all  deep 
and  impressive  emotions.  The  pervading  and  absorbing 
effect  of  awe,  ariiazement,  horror,  or  any  similar  feeling, 
can  never  be  produced  without  low  pitch  and  deep  suc- 
cessive notes  ;  and  the  depth  and  reality  of  such  emotions 
are  always  in  proportion  to  the  depth  of  voice  with  which 
they  are  uttered.  The  grandest  descriptions  in  the  '  Par- 
adise Lost,'  and  the  profoundest  meditations  in  the 
'Night  Thoughts,'  become  trivial  in  their   effect   on   the 


212  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

ear,  when  read  witli  the  ineffectual  expression  insepara- 
ble from  the  pitch  of  ordinary  conversation  or  discourse. 

2.  "  The  vocal  deficiency  M'hich  limits  the  range  of 
expression  to  the  middle  and  higher  notes  of  tlie  scale 
is  not,  by  any  means,  the  unavoidable  and  necessary 
fault  of  organization,  as  it  is  so  generally  supposed  to 
be.  Habit  is  in  this,  as  in  so  many  other  things,  the 
cause  of  defect.  There  is  truth,  no  doubt,  in  the  remark 
so  often  made  in  defense  of  a  high  and  feeble  voice, 
that  it  is  natural  to  the  individual,  or  that  it  is  difficult 
for  some  readers  to  attain  to  depth  of  voice  without 
incurring  a  false  and  forced  style  of  utterance.  But  in 
most  cases  it  is  habit,  not  organization,  that  has  made 
certain  notes  natural  or  unnatural — in  other  words, 
familiar  to  the  ear  or  the  reverse. 

3.  "The  neglect  of  the  lower  notes  of  the  scale,  and, 
consequently,  of  the  organic  action  by  which  they  are 
produced,  may  render  a  deep-toned  utterance  less  easy 
than  it  would  otherwise  be.  But  most  teachers  of  elo- 
cution arc,  from  day  to  day,  witnesses  to  the  fact  that 
students,  from  the  neglect  of  muscular  action,  and  iVom 
all  tlie  other  enfeebling  causes  involved  in  sedentary 
habits  and  intellectual  application,  sometimes  commence 
a  course  of  practice  with  a  high-pitched,  thin,  and  fem- 
inine voice,  which  seems  at  first  incapable  of  expressing 
a  grave  or  manly  sentiment,  and,  in  some  instances, 
appears  to  forbid  the  individual  from  ever  attempting 
the  utterance  of  a  solemn  thought,  lest  his  treble  tone 
should  make  the  effect  ridiculous ;  but  that  a  few  weeks' 
practice  of  vocal  exercise  on  bass  notes  and  deep  emo- 
tions, as  embodied  in  rightly  selected  exercises,  often 
enables  such  readers  to  acquire  a  round  and  deep-toned 
utterance,  adequate  to  the  fullest  effects  of  impressive 
eloquence. 

4.  ""The  exercise  of  singing  bass,  if  cultivated  as  an 
habitual   practice,  has    a   great    effect   in   imparling    com- 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  213 

mand  of  deep-toned  expression  in  reading  and  speaking. 
Eeading  and  reciting  passages  from  Milton  and  from 
Young,  and  particularly  from  the  Book  of  Psalms,  or 
from  hymns  of  a  deeply  solemn  character,  are  exercises 
of  great  value  for  securing  the  command  of  the  lower 
notes  of  the  voice." 

5.  In  the  following  exercises  the  movement  is  very 
slow,  the  pauses  are  very  long,  and  the  prevailing  inflec- 
tion the  grave  monotone. 

1.      THE   GRAVE. 

How  frightful  the  grave !   how  deserted  and  drear ! 
With  the  howls  of  the  storm- wind,  the  creaks  of  the  bier, 
And  the  white  bones  all  clattering  together ! 

2.       THE   BELL   OF   THE   ATLANTIC. 

Toll,  toll,  tull,  thou  bell  by  billows  swung; 

And,   night   and   day,   thy   warning    words    repeat   with 

mournful  tongue ; 
T511  for  the  queenly  boat,  wrecked  on  yon  rocky  shore ! 
Sea-weed  is  in  her  palace  walls;  she  lides  the  surge  no 

more.  mrs.  sigourney. 

3.      THE   GHOST   IN   HAMLET. 

I  could  a  tale  unfold,  whose  lightest  word 

Would  harrow  up  thy  soul,  freeze  thy  young  l)l(jod, 

Make  thy  two  eyes  like  stars  start  from  their  spheres, 

Thy  knotted  and  combined  locks  to  part, 

And  each  particular  hilir  to  stand  on  end, 

Like    quills    upon    the    fretful    porcupine.  Shakespeare. 

4.      DARKNESS. 

The  world  was  void : 
The  pclpulous  I  and  the  powerful  |  was  a  lump, 
Seasouless,  herbless,  treeless,  manless,  lifeless ; 
A  liimp  of  death,  a  chaos  of  hard  clay. 
The  rivers,  lakes,  and  ocean,  all  |  stood  |  still, 


214  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

And  nothing  |  stirred  |  within  their  silent  depths. 

Ships,  sailorless,  lay  rotting  on  the  sea, 

And  their  masts  |  fell  down  |  piecemeal;  as  they  dropped  | 

They  slept  on  the  abyss,  without  a  surge — 

The  waves  |  were  dead ;    the  tides  |  were  in  their  gra\'e ; 

The  moon,  their  mistress,  liad  expired  before ; 

The  winds  |  were  withered  |  in  the  stagnant  air, 

And  the  clouds  |  perished :   Darkness  j  had  no  need  | 

Of  aid  1  from  theiu — she  I  was  the  universe.  byron. 


VIII.     Eecapitulatiox  of  Pitch. 

1.  Very  low  is  the  pitch  of  awe,  of  reverence,  of  solem- 
nity, of  melancholy,   horror,  and  despair. 

2.  Low  is  the  pitch  of  serious,  grave,  solemn,  and  im- 
pressive thoughts  and  feelings. 

3.  Middle  is  the  piU^h  of  ordinary  conversation,  and 
of  unimpassioned  narrative,  descriptive,  or  didactic  com- 
position. 

4.  High  pitch  is  the  pitch  of  courage,  boldness,  exulta- 
tion, wonder,  and  anger,  and  of  shouting  or  calling. 

5.  Very  high  is  the  pitch  of  rapturous  emotion,  of  un- 
controllable passion,  of  terror,  and  pain. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  215 


CHAPTEE  V. 

QUALITY   OF   VOICE. 


Introductory. 


1.  Quality  of  voice  relates  to  the  kind  of  tone  used 
in  reading  or  speaking  in  order  to  express  varied 
thoughts  and  emotions. 

2.  The  ever-varying  intonations  of  a  rich  and  culti- 
vated voice  constitute  one  of  the  greatest  charms  of  a 
good  reader  or  speaker. 

3.  "In  poetical  and  impassioned  language,"  says  Prof, 
Eussell,  "  tones  are  often  the  most  proniinent  and  the 
most  important  qualities  of  voice ;  and  to  give  these 
with  propriety,  force,  and  vividness,  is  the  chief  excel- 
lence of  good  reading  or  recitation. 

4.  "The  language  of  prose,  being  generally  less 
imaginative  and  exciting,  does  not  require  the  extent 
and  power  of  tone  used  in  poetry.  But  as  true  feeling 
is,  in  both  cases,  the  same  in  kind,  though  not  in  degree, 
and  as  no  sentiment  can  be  uttered  naturally  without 
the  tone  of  its  appropriate  emotion,  and  no  thought, 
indeed,  can  arise  in  the  mind  without  a  degree  of  emo- 
tion, a  great  importance  is  attached,  even  in  the  read- 
ing or  speaking  of  \)to^q  composition,  to  those  qualities 
of  voice  comprehended  under  the  name  of  tones. 

5.  "  Without  these,  utterance  would  degenerate  into 
a  merely  mechanical  process  of  articulation.  It  is  these 
that  give  impulse  and  vitality  to  thought,  and  which 
constitute  the  chief  instruments  of  eloquence." 


216  school  elocution. 

Kinds  of  Tone. 

The  different  qualities  of  tone  may  be  classed  as 
follows : 

1.  Pure  tone.  4.   The  Guttural. 

2.  The  Orotund.  5.    The  Falsetto. 

3.  The  Aspirated.  6.   The  Semitone. 

Of  these  divisions,  the  pure  tone  and  the  orotund  are 
the  most  important,  because  they  are  most  used  in 
reading. 

Faults  in  Quality. 

1.  Perhaps  the  most  common  fault  in  school  reading 
consists  in  using  one  uniform  tone  lor  all  kinds  of 
selections. 

2.  This  hard,  thin,  high,  grating  quality  is  appropri- 
ately termed  the  "  school  tone." 

3.  The  faulty  habits  of  pupils  in  this  respect  are  best 
corrected  by  requiring  pupils  to  repeat  in  concert,  after 
the  teacher,  short  extracts  which  include  great  variations 
of  quality.  Many  timid  pupils  are,  at  first,  frightened 
at  the  sound  of  their  own  voices  in  any  other  tone  than 
the  conventional  school  tone. 

4.  Another  fault  is  the  tendency  to  the  nasal  tone. 
This  high,  thin,  sharp,  disagreeable  tone  is  pi'oduced  by 
forcing  the  breath  into  the  nose  before  it  leaves  the 
mouth,  and  this  fault  in  reading  is  the  result  of  not 
opening  the  mouth  sufficiently  in  reading.  It  may  be 
l)roken  up  by  persistent  drill  on  the  open  vowel  sounds, 
and  by  exercises  that  keep  the  voice  down  to  a  low  pitch. 

I.    Pure  Tone. 

1.  Piire  tone,  or  head  tone,  is  a  clear,  smooth  souncf. 
so  formed  as  to  have  a  .slight  resonance  in  the  head  or 
through  the  nasal  passages.  A  good  illustration  of  this 
quality  is  afforded  by  giving  the  sound  of  oo  as  in  nioTm, 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  -217 

prolonged  for  ten  seconds,  in  a  tliin,  clear,  gentle  vocal 
sound,  on  a  moderately  high  pitch. 

2.  Pure  tone  is  used  in  all  quiet,  gentle,  subdued 
forms  of  utterance ;  in  the  expression  of  pathos  and 
tenderness ;  in  ordinary  conversation  ;  in  unimpassioned 
reading ;  and  in  the  prolonged  tones  of  shouting  or 
calling,  when  the  voice,  raised  to  a  high  pitch,  flows  in 
a  thin,  clear,  penetrating  volume. 

3.  "  The  production  of  pure  and  full  tone,"  says  Prof. 
William  Eussell,  "is  the  common  ground  on  which  elo- 
cution and  vocal  music  unite,  in  elementary  discipline. 
Both  arts  demand  attention  to  appropriate  healthful 
attitude,  and  to  free,  expansive,  energetic  action  in  the 
organs. 

4.  "  Botli  require  erect  posture,  free  opening  of  the 
chest,  full  and  regular  breathing,  power  of  producing 
and  sustaining  any  degree  of  volume  of  voice,  and,  along 
with  these,  the  habit  of  vivid,  distinct  articulation. 

5.  "  Both  equally  forbid  that  imperfect  and  laborious 
breathing  which  mars  the  voice,  exhausts  the  organs, 
and  produces  disease.  Both  tend  to  secure  that  healthy 
vigor  of  organ  which  makes  vocal  exercise,  at  once,  a 
source  of  pleasure  and  a  source  of  health." 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  Straight  mine  eye  hath  caught  new  pleasures, 
While  the  landscape  round  it  measures. 

2.  0  that  this  lovely  vale  were  mine ! 

3.  0  then  I  see  Queen  Mab  hath  been  with  you ! 

4.  Rejoice,  ye  men  of  Angiers ;   ring  your  bdlls ; 

Open  your  gates  to  give  the  victors  way. 

5.  Joy !  joy  forever !   my  task  is  done ! 

6.  Ring,  joyous  chords !   ring  out  again ! 

7.  Hear  the  sledo-es  with  the  bells — silver  bells ! 


218  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

8.  Marley  was  dead,  to  begin  with.     There  is  no  doubt 
"whatever  about  that. 

9.  Studies   serve   for   delight,   for    ornament,   and   for 
ability. 

10.  Has  there  any  old  fellow  got  mixed  with  the  hoys  ? 

11.  Listen,  my  children,  and  you  shall  hear 
Of  the  midnight  ride  of  Paul  Eevere. 

12.     BUGLE   SONG. 

O  hark,  O  hear !   how  thin  and  clear, 
And  thinner,  clearer,  farther  going ; 
0  sweet  and  far,  from  cliff  and  scar. 
The  horns  of  Elf-land  faintly  blowing ! 
Blow ;   let  us  hear  the  purple  glens  replying ; 
Blow,  bugle;   answer,  echoes,  dying,  dying,  dying. 

Tennyson. 
13.      THE   BELLS. 

Hear  the  sledges  with  the  bells — 
Silver  bells! 
What  a  world  of  merriment  their  melody  foretells  ! 
How  they  tinkle,  tinkle,  tinkle, 

In  the  icy  air  of  night ! 
While  the  stars  that  oversprinkle 
All  the  heavens  seem  to  twinkle 

With  a  crystalline  delight ; 
Keeping  time,  time,  time, 
In  a  sort  of  liunic  rliyme, 
To  the  tintinnabulation  that  so  musically  wells 
From  the  bells,  bells,  bells,  bells. 
Bells,  bells,  bells  ; 
From  the  jingling  and  the  tinkling  of  the  bells.      poe. 

14.       SONG    ox   MAY   MOKNIXG. 

Now  tlio  l)riqlit  morning  Star,  day's  harbinger, 
Couies  dancing  from  the  East,  and  leads  with  her 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


219 


The  flowery  May,  who  from  her  green  lap  throws 
The  yellow  cowslip  and  the  pale  primrose. 
Hail,  bounteous  May,  that  dost  inspire 
Mirth,  and  youth,  and  warm  desire: 
"Woods  and  groves  are  of  thy  dressing. 
Hill  and  dale  doth  boast  thy  blessing. 
Thus  we  salute  thee  with  our  early  song, 
And  welcome  thee,  and  wish  thee  long. 


Milton. 


15.      DniFTIXG. 

The  day  so  mild  is  Heaven's  own  child, 
With  Earth  and  Ocean  reconciled ; 
The  airs  I  feel  around  me  steal 
Are  murmurinf?  to  the  murmurinoj  keel. 

Over  the  rail  my  hand  I  trail 
Within  the  shadow  of  the  sail ; 
A  joy  intense — the  cooling  sense — 
Glides  down  my  drowsy  indolence. 


Read. 


IG. 


TO   A    SKYLARK. 


Hail  to  thee,  blithe  spirit — 
Bird  thou  never  wert — 
That  from  heaven,  or  near  it, 
Pourest  thy  full  heart 
In  profuse  strains  of  unpremeditated  art. 

Higher  still  and  higher, 
From  the  earth  thou  springest ; 
Like  a  cloud  of  fire 
The  blue  deep  thou  wingest. 
And  singing  still  dost  soar,  and  soaring  ever  singest. 

Shellev. 
17.       PASSING   AWAY. 

Was  it  the  chime  of  a  tiny  hell 

That  came  so  sweet  to  my  dreaming  ear, 

Like  the  silvery  tones  of  a  fairy's  shell, 

That  he  winds,  on  the  beach,  so  mellow  and  clear, 


220  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

"When  the  winds  and  the  waves  lie  together  asleep, 

And  the  Moon  and  the  Fairy  are  watching  the  deep, 

She  dispensing  her  silvery  light. 

And  he  his  notes  as  silvery  quite, 

While  the  boatman  listens  and  ships  his  6ar, 

To  catch  the  music  that  comes  from  the  shdre  ? 

Hark !   the  notes  on  my  ear  that  pldy, 

Are  set  to  tvbrds:   as  they  float,  they  sdy, 

"  Passing  awdy  !  lidssing  aivdy  !  "  pierpont. 

18.      EVE   OF  ELECTION. 

From  gold  to  gray,  our  mild,  sweet  day 
Of  Indian  summer  fades  too  soon ; 

But  tenderly,  above  the  sea. 

Hangs,  white  and  calm,  the  hunter's  moon. 

In  its  pale  fire  the  village  spire 

Shows  like  the  zodiac's  spectral  lance ; 

The  painted  walls,  whereon  it  falls, 

Transfigured  stand  in  marble  trance !     -^niTriER. 

Concert  Drill  on  Pure  Tone. 

1.  Repeat,  four  times,  the  long  vowels,  a,  e,  I,  5,  u : 
(1)  With  moderate  force,  pure  tone,  and  rising  inflection. 
(2')  With  soft  or  gentle  force.  (3)  With  higli  pitch,  pure 
tone,  and  sustained  force. 

2.  Count  from  one  to  fifty:  (1)  With  quiet  conversa- 
tional tone  and  rising  inflection.  (2)  Falling  inflection. 
(3)  Circumflex  inflection.     (4)  The  monotone. 

3.  Give  the  sound  of  long  o,  prolonged  for  ten  sec- 
onds ;   of  a ;   of  e. 

4.  In  high  pitch,  and  lliin,  clear,  pure  tone,  call  as  to 
persons  at  a  distance :    ho  !   ho  !   ho ! 

II.     The  Orotund. 
1.   The  orottmd  is  a  round,  deep,  full,  clear,  resonant 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  221 

fhest  tone  of  voice.  It  has  the  flow  and  fullness  of  an 
organ-peal.  It  is  the  tone  of  emotion,  excitement,  and 
passion. 

2.  The  orotund  has  the  smoothness  of  pure  tone,  but 
combines  it  with  a  much  heavier  volume  of  sound. 
The  swelling  tones  of  the  orotund  are  the  appropriate 
means  of  expressing  reverence,  awe,  sublimity,  grandeur, 
and  strong  feeling  or  passion.  It  prevails  in  oratorical 
declamation  and  in  the  reading  of  lyric  or  dramatic 
poetry. 

3.  The  prevailing  stress  of  the  orotund  is  the  median, 
changing,  however,  under  excitement,  into  the  radical. 

4.  In  the  orotund  utterance,  the  breathing  must  be 
full  and  deep,  to  insure  a  good  supply  of  breath ;  the 
mouth  must  be  well  opened ;  all  the  vocal  organs  must 
be  called  into  full  play ;  and  then,  in  harmony  with 
strong  emotions,  the  voice  swells  out  like  the  blast  of 
a  bugle  or  the  resonant  swell  of  an  organ. 

5.  The  three  degrees  of  the  orotund  may  be  distin- 
guished as  the  effusive,  the  expulsive,  and  the  explosive. 

Orotund  Drill. 

1.  Eepeat,  four  times,  in  monotone,  the  long  vocals, 
a,  e,  1,  6,  u. 

2.  Inhale  to  the  utmost  capacity  of  the  lungs  and 
tlien  give,  with  strong  swell  and  round  tone,  the  sound 
of  long  0,  prolonged  as  long  as  the  breath  will  allow. 

3.  Eepeat  four  times  the  following  vocals  :  e,  a,  a,  a,  5,  o. 

4.    Lo  !   the  mighty  sun  looks  forth  ! 
Arm  !   thou  leader  of  the  north. 

5.  Awake  !    Arise !    or  be  forever  fallen  ! 

6.  Air,  earth,  and  sea,  resound  liis  praise  abroad. 

7.  Roll  on,  thou  deep  and  dark  blue  ocean,  roll, 
Ten  tliousand  fleets  sweep  over  thee  in  vain. 


222  SCHOOL    ELOCUTIOX. 

8.  Farewell,  a  long  farewell  to  all  my  greatness. 

9.  Hail !   holy  light,  offspring  of  Heaven  first-born ! 

10.  Liberty!   freedom!     Tyranny  is  dead! 

11.  It  thunders!   sons  of  dust,  in  reverence  bow! 

12.  Hear  the  mellow  wedding  bells — golden  bells. 

13.  Hear  the  loud  alarum  bells — brazen  bells. 

14.  O  thou  Eternal  One !   whose  presence  bright 
All  space  doth  occupy,  all  motion  guide, 
Unchanged  through  time's  all-devastating  flight: 
Thou  only  God !     There  is  no  God  beside ! 

Examples  of  Effusive  Orotund. 

1.      THE   ARSENAL. 

This  is  the  Arsenal.     From  floor  to  ceiling, 
Like  a  huge  organ,  rise  the  burnished  arms; 

But  from  their  silent  pipes  no  anthem  pealing, 
Startles  the  villages  |  with  strange  alarms. 

Ah  I   what  a  sound  will  rise — how  wild  and  dreary — 
When  the  death-angel  touches  those  swift  khjs! 

What  loud  lament  |  and  dismal  Miserere 
Will  mingle  |  with  their  awful  symphonies! 

I  hdar  even  nbw  \  the  infinite  fierce  chorus, 
The  cries  of  agony,  the  endless  groan. 

Which,  through  the  ages  \  that  have  gone  before  us, 
In  long  reverberations  \  reach  our  own.  Longfellow. 

2.      THE   OCEAN. 

The  armaments  \  which  thunderstrike  the  walls  | 
Of  rock-built  cities,  bidding  nations  quake, 

And  mdnarehs  |  tremble  in  their  capitals; 
The  oak  leviathans,  whose  huge  ribs  make  | 
Their  clay  creator  j  the  vain  title  take  | 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION,  223 

Of  lord  of  thee,  and  arbiter  of  wdr — 

These  I  are  thy  tbi/s,  and,  as  the  snowy  Jldke, 
They  melt  into  thy  yeast  of  waves,  which  mar  [ 
Alike  I  the  Armadas  pride,  or  spoils  of  Trafalgd?'. 

Byeon. 
3.      HYMN   TO   MONT   BLANC. 

Ye  Icc-falls !  ye  that  from  the  mountain's  brow  | 
Adowu  enormous  ravines  slope  amain — 
Torrents,  methinks,  that  heard  a  mighty  voice. 
And  stopped  at  once  amid  their  maddest  plunge! 
Motionless  torrents  !   silent  cataracts  ! 
Who  made  you  glorious  as  the  gates  of  hkiven  \ 
Beneath  the  keen  full  moon  ?     Who  bade  the  sun  | 
Clothe  you  with  rainbows  ?     Who,  with  living  Jibwers 
Of  loveliest  blue,  spread  gdrlands  at  your  feet  ? — 
God  !   let  the  torrents  like  a  shout  of  nations  \ 
Answer !   and  let  the  kc-plains  echo  :    God  ! 
God  !   sing,  ye  meadow-streams,  with  gladsome  V(Mce ! 
Ye  |jMic-groves,  with  your  soft  and  soul-like  sounds ! 
And  tlihj  too  have  a  voice,  yon  piles  of  snow. 
And  in  their  perilous  fall  |  shall  thunder :    God  ! 

COLEEIDGE. 
4.       THE   CHAMBERED   NAUTILUS. 

Build  thee  more  stdtchj  mansions,  0  my  soul. 

As  the  swift  seasons  roll ! 

Leave  thy  low-vaulted  past  ! 
Let  each  new  temple,  nobler  than  the  hist, 
Shut  thee  from  heaven  with  a  dome  more  vast. 

Till  thou  at  length  art  frh, 
Leaving  thine  outgrown  shell  by  life's  unresting  s^a ! 

Holmes. 
5.       FROM    THE   PSALMS. 

Praise  ye  the  Lbrd.  Praise  ye  the  Lord  from  tlie 
heavens;  praise  him  in  the  heights.  Praise  ye  him,  all 
his  ttngels:  praise  ye  him,  all  his  hbsts.  Praise  ye  liim, 
sun  and  moon:  praise  him,  all  ye  stdrs  of  light.     Piaise 


224  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

him,  ye  heavens  of  heavens,  and  ye  vxlfers  that  be  ahbvc 
the  heavens.  Let  them  praise  the  name  of  the  Lbrd : 
for  he  commanded,  and  they  were  created.  He  hath 
also  established  them  for  ever  and  ^ver :  he  liath  made  a 
decree  which  shall  not  pass.  Praise  the  Lord  from  the 
earth,  ye  dragons,  and  all  dhps:  fire,  and  hail;  snoiv, 
and  vtcpors ;  stormy  wind  fulfilling  his  lubrd :  mbuntains, 
and  all  hills;  fruitful  trees,  and  all  cedars:  beasts,  and 
all  cMtle ;  creeping  things,  and  flying  fbivl :  kings  of  the 
earth,  and  all  people :  princes,  and  all  judges  of  the 
earth :  both  young  men  and  mb^idens ;  old  men  and 
children.  Let  them  praise  the  name  of  the  Lbrd :  for  his 
name  alone  is  excellent;  his  glory  is  above  the  earth 
and  heaven. 

6.       EVE   OF   ELECTION. 

Our  hearts  grow  cold,  we  lightly  hold 
A  right  which  brave  men  died  to  gain ; 

The  stake,  the  cord,  the  ax,  the  sword. 
Grim  nurses  at  its  birth  of  pain. 

The  shadow  rend,  and  o'er  us  bend, 

0  martyrs,  with  your  crowns  and  palms ! 

Breathe  through  these  throngs,  your  battle-songs. 
Your  scaffold  prayers  and  dungeon  psalms ! 

Whittier. 

Examples  of  Expulsive  Orotund. 

These   examples   are   to   be   rendered  with  a  stronger 
swell  than  those  under  the  head  of  effusive  orotund. 

1.      LAUS   DEO. 

It  is  dbne  ! 
Clang  of  hell  and  roar  of  gun 

Send  the  tidings  iip  and  dovjn. 
How  the  belfries  rock  and  rM, 
How  the  great  giins,  peal  on  peal, 

F]iii.'4  tlie  joy  fi'om  tdivn  to  tbivn  !  whittiek. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION,  225 

2.      CHRISTMAS. 

Ring  out,  ye  crystal  spheres  ! 
Once  bless  our  kuinan  ears, 

If  ye  have  power  to  toucli  our  shiscs  so ; 
And  let  your  silver  chime 
Move  in  melodious  time, 

And  let  the  bass  of  heaven's  deep  organ  Mow; 
And  with  your  ninefold  harmony 
Make  up  full  consort  to  the  angelic  symphony. 

Milton. 

3.  THE    OCEAN. 

EoU  on,  thou  deep  and  dark  blue  Ocean — roll ! 
Ten  thousand  fleets  [  sweep  over  thee  in  vain ; 
Md7i  I  marks  the  earth  with  ruin, — his  control  | 
Stops  with  the  shore;   upon  the  watery  plain  | 
The  'Wrecks  are  all  tliy  deed,  nor  doth  remain  | 
A  shadow  of  man's  ravage,  save  his  own. 
When  for  a  moment,  like  a  drop  of  rain. 
He  sinks  into  thy  depths  |  with   biibbliug  groan. 
Without  a  grave,  unknelled,  uncoffined,  and  unknown. 

BVRON. 

4.  THE   ORGAN. 

Suddenly  the  notes  of  the  deep-laboring  organ  burst 
upon  the  fear,  falling  with  doubled  and  redoubled  inten- 
sity, and  rolling,  as  it  w^re,  huge  billows  of  sound. 
How  ivell  do  their  volume  and  grandeur  accord  with 
this  mighty  building  !  With  what  pomp  do  they  swell 
through  its  vast  vaults,  and  breathe  their  awful  har- 
mony through  these  caves  of  d^ath,  and  make  the  silent 
s^pulcher  vocal !  And  now  they  rise  in  triumph  and 
acclamation,  heaving  higher  and  higher  their  accordant 
notes,  and  piling  sound  on  sound.  And  now  they  pause, 
and  the  soft  voices  of  the  choir  break  out  into  sweet 
gushes  of  melody ;  they  soar  aWift,  and  warble  along  the 
rdof,  and  seem  to  play  about  these  lofty  vaults  like  the 
pure  airs  of  hhwen.  Again  the  pealing  organ  heaves 
15 


226  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

its  thrilling  thunders,  compressing  dir  into  niiisic,  and 
rolling  it  forth  upon  the  soul.  What  long-drawn  ca- 
dences !  What  solemn,  swhping  concords !  It  grows 
more  and  more  dense  and  jmrcrful ;  it  fills  the  vast 
pile,  and  seems  to  jar  the  rer?/  ivalls ;  the  ear  is  stunned, 
the  senses  are  overwhehned.  And  now  it  is  winding  up 
in  full  jxibilee ;  it  is  rising  from  the  earth  to  heaven; 
the  very  soul  seems  rapt  away  and  floated  upwards  on 
this  swelling  tide  of  harinomj.  irvixg. 

5.       PEUOIIATION    OF   WEBSTEIl'S    PLYMOUTH    ROCK    OUATIOX. 

Advance,  then,  ye  future  generations  !  We  would  hail 
you,  as  you  rise  in  your  long  succession,  to  fill  the 
places  which  we  now  fill,  and  to  taste  the  blessings  of 
existence,  where  ive  are  2^cissing,  and  soon  shall  have 
passed,  our  own  human  duration.  We  bid  you  welcome 
to  tliis  pleasant  land  of  the  fathers.  We  bid  you  welcome 
to  the  healthful  skies  and  the  verdant  fiUds  of  New  Eng- 
land. We  greet  your  accession  to  the  great  inheritance 
which  v:e  have  enjoyed.  We  welcome  you  to  the  bless- 
ings of  good  govern  I  nent  and  religious  llbcrtg.  We  wel- 
come you  to  the  treasures  of  science,  and  the  delights 
of  learning.  We  welcome  you  to  the  transcendent  sweets 
of  domestic  l\fe,  to  the  happiness  of  hindred,  and  parents, 
and  children.  We  welcome  you  to  the  inimeasurahle 
Messings  of  rationed  existence,  the  immortal  hdpe  of 
Christ idnitg,  and  the  light  of  everlasting  Truth  ! 

6.      GOD   IN   NATURE. 

"  God,"  sing  ye  meadow  streams,  with  gladsome  voice ! 

Ye  pine  groves,  with  your  soft  and  soul-like  sounds  ! 

Ye  living  llowers  that  skirt  tlie  eternal  frost ! 

Ye  wild  goats  sporting  round  the  eagle's  nest ! 

Ye  eagles,  playmates  of  the  mountain  storm ! 

Ye  lightnings,  the  dread  arrows  of  the  clouds ! 

Ye  signs  and  wonders  of  the  elements! 

Utter  forth  "God,"  and  fill  tlie  hills  with  praise! 

From  Coleridge's  Hymn  to  Mont  Blanc. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  227 

7.      A  NEW   year's   chime. 

Ho !  ye  wardens  of  the  bells, 

Biiig  !  ring  !  ring  ! 
JRing  for  winter's  bracing  hours, 
Ring  for  birth  of  spring  and  flowers, 
Bing  for  summer's  fruitful  treasure, 
liing  for  autumn's  boundless  measure, 
Bing  for  hands  of  generous  giving, 
Biug  for  vows  of  nobler  living, 
Bing  for  truths  of  tongue  or  pen, 
Bing,  "  Peace  on  earth,  good-will  toward  men." 

Bing  !  ring  !  ring  ! 
Eing,  that  this  glad  year  may  see 
Earth's  accomplished  jubilee ! 

Bing  !  ring  !  ring  ! 

8.       REVEREXCE. 

0  Lord,  my  God,  Thou  art  very  great !  Thou  art 
clothed  with  honor  and  majesty ;  who  coverest  thyself 
with  light  as  with  a  garment ;  who  stretchest  out  the 
heavens  like  a  curtain ;  who  layeth  the  beams  of  his 
chambers  in  the  waters ;  who  maketh  the  clouds  his 
chariot;  who  walketh  upon  the  wings  of  the  wind; 
who  laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth,  that  it  should 
not  be  removed  forever.  j;^  ^^j^g 

Examples  of  Explosive  Orotund. 

1.       THE    BATTLE   OF    IVRY. 

Now  glory  to  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  from  whom  all  glories 
are !   . 

And  glory  to  our  Sovereign  Liege,  King  Henry  of  Na- 
varre ! 

Now  let  there  be  the  merry  sound  of  miXsic  and  the 
dance^ 

Through  thy  cornfields  grfeen,  and  sunny  v^les,  0  j^lcas- 
ant  land  of  Frhnee  ! 


228  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION, 

And  thim,  Eochfelle,  our  bwn  Eochelle,  proud  city  of  the 

waters. 
Again   let   rcipture   light   the    eyes  of  all   thy   mourning 

daughters ; 
As  tliou  wert  constant  in  our  ills,  be  joijous  in  our  joy, 
For  cold  and  stiff  and  still  are  they   wlio   wrought  thy 

walls  annoy. 
Hurrah !  liurrhh !  a  single  field  hath  turned  the  chance 

of  war. 
Hurrah  !  hurrah  !  for  Ivry  and  King  Henry  of  Navhrrc  I 

Macau  LAY. 

2.       KICUMOND    TO    IMS    TKOOI'S. 

Fight,  gentlemen  of  England  !  fight,  bold  yeomen  ! 
Drhw,  archers,  draw  your  arrows  to  the  head: 
Spur  your  proud  horses  hcird,  and  ride  in  hlbod  ; 
Amaze  the  welkin  with  your  broken  staves. 
A  thousand  hearts  are  great  within  my  bosom : 
Advance  our  standards,  set  upon  our  fdes  ! 
Our  ancient  word  of  cburage,  fair  St.  George, 
Inspire  us  with  the  spleen  of  fiery  dragons ! 

Upon   them  !       Vietory   sits    on    our    helms.       Shakespeare. 

3.  INDEPENDENCE. 

The  great  l)ell  swung  as  ne'er  before : 
It  seemed  as  it  would  never  cease; 
And  every  word  its  ardor  flung 
From  off  its  jubilant  iron  tongue 

Was,  "War!   War!   WAR!"  r,^„. 

4.  INDEPENDENCE. 

Sir,  before  Ghd,  I  believe  the  hour  is  cbmc  /  My  judg- 
ment approves  this  measure,  and  my  whole  heart  is  \n 
it.  All  that  I  hdve,  and  all  that  I  dm,  and  all  that  I 
hbpe,  in  this  life,  I  am  now  ready  here  to  stitlce  upon  it ; 
and  I   leave  ojj,  as  I   hcghn,  that,  live  or  die,  survive  or 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  229 

ph'ish,  I  am  for  tlie  declaration  !  It  is  my  living  senti- 
ment, and,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  it  sliall  be  my  dying 
sentiment — Independence,  now,  and  independence  \  forever  ! 

Webster. 

Explosive  and  Expulsive  Orotund, 

These  two  forms  of  the  orotund  are  often  combined 
in  the  same  piece,  and  it  is  not  easy  to  draw  a  marked 
line  of  division.  In  impassioned  declamation  the  utter- 
ance changes  from  one  to  the  other,  according  to  tlie 
degree  of  feeling  or  passion.  The  following  extract 
aftbrds  an  illustration : 

1.     Webster's  tribute  to  Massachusetts. 

Mr.  President,  I  shall  enter  on  no  encomium  upon 
Massachusetts ;  she  needs  none.  There  she  is ;  beliold 
her,  and  judge  for  yourselves.  There  is  her  liistory ; 
the  world  knows  it  by  heart.  The  ijdst,  at  least,  is  secure. 
There  is  Boston,  and  Concord,  and  Lexington,  and 
Bunker  Hill ;  and  there  they  will  remain  forever.  The 
bones  of  her  sons,  fallen  in  the  great  struggle  for  Inde- 
pendence, now  lie  mingled  with  the  soil  of  every  State, 
from  New  England  to  Georgia ;  and  there  they  will  lie 
forever. 

And,  sir,  where  American  Liberty  raised  its  first  voice, 
and  where  its  youth  was  nurtured  and  snstdined,  there 
it  still  lives,  in  the  strength  of  its  mdnhood,  and  full  of 
its  origincd  sjnrit.  If  discord  and  disunion  shall  toound 
it ;  if  party  strife  and  blind  ambition  shall  hatvk  at  and 
tear  it;  if  folly  and  madness,  if  uneasiness  under  salu- 
tary and  necessary  restraint,  shall  succeed  in  separating 
it  from  that  Union  by  which  alone  its  existence  is  7nade 
sure — it  will  stand,  in  the  end,  by  the  side  of  that  cradle 
in  which  its  infancy  was  rbcked ;  it  will  stretch  forth  its 
arm,  with  whatever  of  vigor  it  may  still  retain,  over  the 
friends  who  gather  rbund  it ;   and  it  will  fall  at  Icist,  if 


230 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION, 


fall   it   must,  amid  the  proudest  vibnumcnts  of  its   own 
glory,  aud  on  the  very  spot  of  its  origin. 


III.     Aspirated  Quality. 

Aspirated  quality  means,  in  general,  a  combination  of 
tone  with  whisper,  causing  the  huskiness  and  harshness 
produced  by  a  superabundance  of  breath  under  the  in- 
fluence of  powerful  emotions,  such  as  anger,  rage,  terror, 
and  horror.  The  whisper  represents  the  extreme  of 
aspirated  quality. 

The  Whisper. 

The  pure  whisper  lies  half  way  between  breathing 
and  vocality.  The  half-whisper  is  a  combination  of 
tone  and  whisper.  The  forcible  whisper  is  a  most  val- 
uable vocal  exercise.  It  requires  full,  deep,  and  frequent 
breatliing,  and  the  vigorous  use  of  the  lips,  tongue,  and 
other  vocal  organs.  The  degrees  of  force  in  the  whisper 
are  indicated  by  the  terms  effusive,  expulsive,  and  ex- 
plosive. 

The  pure  whisper  is  rarely  used  in  reading,  the  effect 
being  generally  suggested  by  the  half-whisper,  or  by  aspi- 
rated quality.  The  following  exercises  and  examples  are 
given  for  the  purposes  of  vocal  training. 

Table  of  Aspir.vtes. 

\_First  whisper  the  words,  then  tJw  aspirates,  and  then  give  the  phonic 
gelling  of  each  word  in  a  forcible  whisper.  ] 


p 

p-i-pe, 

li-]) 

t 

t-en-t. 

t-as-Le 

wh 

wh-en, 

wh-y 

ch 

ch-ur-ch. 

bir-ch 

f 

f-i-fe. 

lea-f 

sli 

sh-all, 

la-sh 

th 

th-ick, 

my-th 

h 

h-ow, 

li-ail 

s 

s-ale. 

le-ss 

k 

€a-ke. 

la-ke 

school  elocution.  231 

Whisper  Drill. 

Practice  each  exercise  with  three  degrees  of  force :  (1) 
Effusive,  or  soft.  (2)  Expulsive,  or  forcible.  (3)  Explo- 
sive, or  intense. 

1.  With  effusive  force,  repeat  as  many  times  as  pos- 
sible without  taking  breath :    a-e-I-o-u. 

2.  To  a,  e,  i,  o,  u,  join  /,  and  repeat  as  above ;  join 
t;  join  h. 

3.  Count,  in  a  whisper,  from  one  to  ten,  with  one 
breath ;  from  one  to  twenty ;  one  to  thirty,  or  more. 

Examples  of  Effusive  Whisper. 

1.  Step  softly,  and  speak  low. 

2.  Whisper !  she  is  going  to  her  final  rest. 
Whisper!  life  is  growing  dim  within  her  breast. 

3.  Hark !  hist !  around  I  list. 

The  bounds  of  space  all  trace  efface 
Of  sound. 

4.  And  his  little  daughter  whispered, 

As  she  took  his  icy  hand : 
"  Is  n't  God  upon  the  water, 
Just  the  same  as  on  the  land  ? " 

5.  And  again  to  the  child  I  whispered : 

"  The  snow  that  hushcth  all. 
Darling,  tlie  merciful  Father 
Alone  can  make  it  fall  !  " 

6.  And  the  bridemaidens  whispered  :  "  'Tivcrc  letter  hj  far. 
To  have  matched  our  fair  cousin  ivith  young  Lochinvar." 

7.   The  red  rose  cries,  "  She  is  near,  she  is  near ; " 
And  the  white  rose  weeps,  "  She  is  late ; " 
The  larkspur  listens,  "  I  hear,  I  hear ; " 
And  the  lily  whispers,  "  I  wait." 


232  school  elocution. 

Examples  of  Expulsive  Whisper. 

1.  Or  whispering  with  white  lips,  "  The  foe !  they 
come  !  they  come  ! " 

2.  To  bed,  to  bed ;  there 's  knocking  at  the  gate. 
Come,  come,  come,  give  me  your  hand. 

3.  Soldiers !  You  are  now  within  a  few  steps  of  the 
enemy's  outposts.  Let  every  man  keep  the  strictest 
silence,  under  pain  of  instant  death. 

Examples  of  Explosive  Whisper. 

1.  Hark !  I  hear  the  bugles  of  the  enemy.  For  the 
boats !     Fonvard !     Forward ! 

2.   Hamlet.     Saiv  !  iclio  ? 

Horatio.     The  king,  your  father. 
Hamlet.     The  king,  my  father  ? 

3.   Art  thou  some  god,  some  angel,  or  some  devil. 

That  mak'st  my  blood  run  cold  and  my  hair  to  stand ! 

Whisper  and  Tone. 

In  some  of  the  following  illustrations  of  aspirated 
quality,  the  whisjjer  predominates  over  tone;  in  others, 
the  aspiration  only  affects  the  tone  with  a  marked 
roughness,  huskiness,  or  aspirated  harshness.  The  extent 
to  which  aspirated  quality  may  be  applied  is  often  a 
matter  of  taste  on  the  part  of  the  reader. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  But  hush  !  hark  !  a  deep  sound  strikes  like  a  rising 
knell 

2.      THE   CfRFEW   BELL. 

"  Sexton,"  Bessie's    white   lips   faltered,   pointing   to   the 

prison  old, 
Witli  its  walls  so  dark  and  gloomy — walls  so  dark,  and 

damp,  and  cold — 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  233 

"I've   a   lover  in   that  prison,  doomed   this  very  night 

to  die, 
At  the  ringing  of  the  Curfew,  and  no  earthly  help  is  nigh. 
Cromwell  will  not   come  till  sunset,"  and  her  face  grew 

strangely  white, 
As  she  spoke  in  husky  whispers,  "  Curfew  must  not  ring 

to-night." 

3.      MACBETH   TO   THE   GHOST. 

Avctunt !   and  quit  my  sight  !     Let  the  earth  hide  thee ! 
Thy  bones  are  marroidess,  thy  blood  is  cold: 
Thou  hast  no  speculation  in  those  eyes 
Which  thou  dost  glcire  with ! 

Hence,  horrible  shMow  ! 
Unreal  mocl'cri/,  hence  ! 

4.       HAMLET   TO   THE   GHOST. 

[Aspirated  quality  and  occasional  half -whisper. ^ 

Angels  and  ministers  of  grhce  defend  us  ! 

Be  thou  a  spirit  of  li^alth,  or  goblin  damned — 

Bring  with  thee  airs  from  hdaven,  or  blasts  from  hfell — 

Be  thy  intents  wicked,  or  charitable — 

Thou  com'st  in  such  a  questionable  sliape 

That  I  will  speak  to  thee.     I'll  call  thee,  Hamlet, 

King,  father,  royal  Dane :  Oh,  answer  me : 

Let  me  not  burst  in  ignorance !   but  tell 

Why  thy  canonized  bones,  hearsdd  in  death, 

Have  burst  their  cferements  !   luliy  the  sepulcher, 

Wherein  we  saw  thee  quietly  inurned, 

Hath  oped  his  ponderous  and  marble  jaws. 

To  cast  thee  up  again  ?     What  may  this  mean. 

That  thou,  dead  corse,  again,  in  complete  steel, 

Eevisit'st  thus  the  glimpses  of  the  moon, 

Making  night  hideous :    and  we  fools  of  nature. 

So  horril)ly  to  shake  our  disposition. 

With  thoughts  beyond  the  reaches  of  our  souls  ? 

Say,  u:hy  is  this  ?   wherefore .?   what  should  we  do .? 


234  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

5.      FROM    "EUGEXE  ARAM." 

[Uorror  and  remorse.     Aspirated  pectoral  and  guttural  qiialit)/.] 
And,  lo !   the  universal  air 

Seemed  lit  with  ghastly  flame; — 
Ten  thousand  thousand  dreadful  eyes 

Were  looking  down  in  blame : 
I  took  the  dead  man  by  his  hand, 

And  called  upon  his  name ! 

0  God !    it  made  me  quake  to  see 
Such  sense  within  the  slain ! 

But  when  I  touched  the  lifeless  clay, 

The  blood  gushed  out  amain ! 
For  every  clot,  a  burning  spot 

Was  scorching  in  my  brain ! 

And  now,  from  forth  the  frowning  sky, 
From  the  heaven's  topmost  lieight,     • 

1  heard  a  voice — the  awful  voice 
Of  the  blood-avenging  sprite  : — 

"  Thou  guilt]/  7nan  !  take  up  thy  dead 

And  hide  it  from  my  sight!"  hood. 

6.       MACBETH. 

\Horror  and  fear.     Intense  suppressed  foree;   prevailing  monotone; 
very  slow  movement;  strong  aspirated  quality.] 

Now  o'er  the  one  half  w5rld 
Nature  seems  dfead  :    and  wicked  dreams  abiise 
The  ciirtained  slfeep ;   now  witclicraft  celebrates 
Pale  Hecate's  offerings ;   and  withered  murder, 
Alarumed  by  his  sentinel,  the  wolf, 
Whdse  howl 's  his  watch,  thus  witli  his  stealthy  pace. 
Towards  his  design 

Moves  like  a  ghbst. — Thou  sure  and  firm-set  earth  ! 
Hear  not  my  steps,  which  way  they  walk ;   for  lear 
The  very  stbnes  prate  of  my  whereabout. 
And  take  the  present  horror  from  the  time 
Which  now  suits  with  it. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  235 

7.      DARIirS   GREEN  AND   HIS   FLYING   MACHINE. 

[Secrecy.    Forcible  whisper  and  half-whisjycr.^ 

And  one  by  one,  through  a  hole  in  the  wall, 
In  under  the  dusty  barn  they  crawl, 
Dressed  in  their  Sunday  garments  all ; 
And  a  very  astonishing  sight  was  that, 
When  each  in  his  cobwebbed  coat  and  hat 
Came  up  through  the  floor  like  an  ancient  rat. 

And  there  they  hid ; 

And  Reuben  slid 
The  fastenings  back,  and  the  door  undid. 

"  Keep  dark  !  "  said  he, 
"While  I  squint  an'  see  what  the'  is  to  see." 

''  Hush  ! "  Eeuben  said, 

"He's  up  in  the  shed! 
He 's  opened  the  winder — I  see  his  head ! 
He  stretches  it  out,  an'  pokes  it  about, 
Lookin'  to  see  'f  the  coast  is  clear. 

An'  nobody  near; — 
Guess  he  don'  o'  who  's  hid  in  here  ! 
He 's  riggin'  a  spring-board  over  the  sill ! 
Stop  laffin',  Solomon !     Burke,  keep  still ! 
He 's  a-climbing  out  now — Of  all  the  things  ! 
What's  he  got  on?     I  van,  it's  wings! 
An'  that  't  other  thing?     I  vum,  it's  a  tail! 
An'  there  he  sets  like  a  hawk  on  a  rail ! 
Steppin'  careful,  he  travels  the  length 
Of  his  spring-board,  and  teeters  to  try  its  strengtli. 
Now  he  stretches  his  wings,  like  a  monstrous  bat ; 
Peeks  over  his  shoulder,  this  way  an'  that, 
Per  to  see  'f  there  's  any  one  passin'  by ; 
But  there 's  on'y  a  ca'f  an'  a  goslin'  nigh. 

Flop — flop — an'  plump 

To  the  ground  with  a  thump, 
Flutterin'  and  flounderin'  all  in  a  lump."        Trowbridge. 


236 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


Special  Aspirate  Drill, 

[In  pronouncing  the  following  tcords  having  the  comhinaiion  hw, 
the  aspiration  is  often  very  feebly  given  or  not  given  at  all,  Sound 
Vie  hw  with  marked  force."] 


way 

wear 

weal 

wen 

were 

wine 

wight 

wile 


whey 

where 

wheel 

when 

%ohir 

whine 

white 

while 


wet 

wit 

wot 

wig 

wield 

witch 

wist 

weather 


whet 

ivhit 

ichat 

whig 

ivhcded 

which 

u'hist 

whether 


Pronunciation  Drill. 


[Keep  the  lungs 
each  word.] 

well  filed  tvith  air    and 

exhaust 

the    breath    upon 

whale 

whalebone 

whatever 

whap 

whapper 

whatsoever 

wharf 

wharfage 

wheelbarrow 

wheat 

what-not 

wheel-horse 

wheeze 

wheeziug 

whe(;lwriglit 

whelp 

whereas 

wliensoever 

whelm 

wherever 

wheresoever 

whence 

whenever 

whereabout 

whew 

whereby 

whereunto 

I  wliiff 

wherefore 

wherewithal 

wliiiu 

whiflle 

whimper 

whip 

whinny 

wlii))sa\v 

whir 

whirlwind 

whirligig 

M-liirl 

whistle 

whisper 

wliisk 

whittle 

whizzing 

white 

whither 

wlioa 

SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  237 

IV.     GuTTUKAL  Quality. 

The  guttural,  or  throat,  quality  is  the  harsh,  grating, 
rasping  utterance  to  which  the  voice  tends  in  the  ex- 
pression of  hatred,  contempt,  revenge,  and  loathing.  It 
is  often  combined  with  aspirated  quality  in  the  expres- 
sion of  extreme  impatience  or  disgust,  intense  rage,  and 
extreme  contempt. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  OTHELLO. 

Oh,  that  the  slave  had  forty  thousand  lives, 
My  great  revenge  had  stomach  for  them  all. 

2.  THE    SPY. 

You  shall  die,  base  dog  !  and  that  before 
Yon  cloud  has  passed  over  the  sun  I 

3.       SHYLOCK    TO   ANTONIO. 

Signior  Antonio,  many  a  time  and  6ft, 
On  the  Eiiilto  you  have  rated  me 
About  my  moneys  and  my  usances; 
Still  have  I  home  it  with  a  patient  sliriig, 
For  sufferance  is  the  badge  of  cdl  our  tribe : 
You  call  me — misbeliever,  cut-throat,  dog, 
And  spit  upon  my  Jewish  gaberdine, 
And  all  for  use  of  that  which  is  mine  hum. 
Well,  then,  it  now  appears,  you  need  my  help. 
Go  to,  thfen ;  you  eomc  to  me,  and  you  say, 
"Shylock,  we  would  have  mdneys ;"  you  say  so; 
You,  that  did  void  your  rheum  upon  my  heard, 
And  foot  me  as  you  spurn  a  stranger  cur 
Over  your  threshold ;  moneys  is  your  suit. 
What  should  I  say  to  you  ?     Should  I  not  say, 
"Hath  a  dog  money?  is  it  possible 
A  cur  can  lend  three  thousand  diicats?"  or 
Shall  I  bend  low,  and  in  a  bondman's  key, 
With  bated  breath,  and  whispering  humbleness, 


238  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Say  this: — 

"Fair  sir,  you  spat  on  me  on  Wednesday  last; 
You  spArncd  me  such  a  day ;  another  time 
You  called  me — (^og ;  and  for  these  courtesies 
I'll  Ihul  you — thus  much — moneys." 

V.    The  Falsetto. 

The  falsetto  is  the  thin,  sharp,  high-pitched  tone  pro- 
duced when  the  voice  breaks,  or  gets  above  its  natural 
compass.  It  is  used  by  men  when  they  imitate  the  voices 
of  women  and  children.  It  is  the  tone  suitable  for  the 
expression  of  old  age,  siciv:ness,  feebleness,  pain,  and 
helpless  terror. 

1.    " Mij  child!  my  child!''  with  sobs  and  tears. 
She  shrieked  upon  his  callous  ears. 

2.  "  Billy — M'liere  are  you,  Billy,  I  say  ?  Come,  Billy, 
come  home  to  your  best  of  mothers ! " 

3.  And  even  Tiny  Tim,  excited  by  the  two  young 
Cratoliits,  beat  on  the  table  with  the  handle  of  his  knife, 
and  feebly  cried,  "  Hurrah  !  " 

4.    Mr.  Orator  Puff  had  two  tones  in  his  voice. 

The  one  S([ueakiug  thus,  and  the  other  down  so  ; 
In  each  sentence  he  uttered  he  gave  you  your  clioice ; 
For  one  half  was  B  alt,  and  the  rest  G  below. 
Oh  !  oh  !  Orator  Puff, 
One  voice  for  an  orator 's  surely  enough ! 

"Oh!  save!"  he  exclaimed,  in  his  lie-and-she  tones, 
"  Help  me  out !  help  me  out !  I  have  broken  my  bones  ! " 
"  Help  you  out ! "  said  a  stranger,  wlio  passed,  "  what 

a  bother! 
Why,  there 's  two  of  you  there ;   can  *t  you  help  one 
another  ? " 

Oh!  oh!  Orator  Puff, 

One  voice  for  an  orator 's  surely  enough ! 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  239 

5.   And  in  a  coaxing  tone  he  cries, 
"Chared!  chared!" 
And  baby  with  a  laugh  replies, 
"Ah,  go!   Ah,  (jo  !" 
"  Chared!  " — "  Ah,  go  !  " 

VI.    The  Semitone. 

When  the  voice  slides  through  the  interval  of  a  semi- 
tone only,  it  gives  the  plaintive  tones  expressive  of 
sadness,  grief,  or  pathetic  entreaty.  If  the  inflection 
runs  through  the  interval  of  a  tone  and  a  half — a  minor 
third  in  music — it  becomes  'more  plaintive,  and  marks 
a  stronger  degree  of  pathos  or  sadness ;  and  when  the 
inflection  extends  into  the  minor  fifth,  it  denotes  still 
stronger  pathetic  feeling. 

The  semitone,  then,  is  the  plahitive  tone  in  reading, 
corresponding  to  the  minor  key  in  music.  It  should  be 
used  delicately,  for,  in  excess,  it  runs  into  the  whine, 
or  becomes  the  affectation  of  cant. 

Semitone  Drill. 

1.  Sound  the  vocals,  a,  e,  T,  6,  ti,  three  times,  on  the 
interval  between  C  and  C  sharp ;  then  on  the  minor 
thii'd ;  then  on  the  minor  fifth. 

2.  Count  from  one  to  twenty  on  the  same  notes  as 
above. 

Examples  of  Semitone. 

1.    0  come  in  life,  or  come  in  death, 
0  lost !   my  love,  Elizabeth. 

2.  For  I  am  poor  and  miserably  old. 

3.  How  many  hired  servants  of  my  father's  have 
bread  enough  and  to  spare,  and  I  perish  with  hunger ! 
I  will  arise  and  go  to   my  father  and  will  say  to  him. 


240  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

"Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven  and  before  thee, 
and  am  no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son :  make 
me  as  one  of  thy  hired  servants ! " 

4.  MY    CHILD. 

I  can  not  make  him  dead ! 

His  fair  sunshiny  Mad 
Is  ever  bounding  round  my  study  ch^ir; 

Yet,  when  my  eyes,  now  dim 

With  tears,  I  turn  to  him, 
The  vision  vanishes,  he  is  not  there ! 

I  walk  my  parlor  floor. 

And,  through  the  open  door, 
I  hear  a  footfall  on  the  chamber  stair; 

I  'm  stepping  toward  the  hall 

To  give  the  boy  a  call ; 
And  then  bethink  me  that  he  is  not  there  /• 

PlEEPONT. 

5.  Hiawatha. 

0  the  long  and  dreary  Winter ! 
O  the  cold  and  cruel  Winter ! 
Ever  thicker,  thicker,  thicker 
Froze  the  ice  on  lake  and  river; 
Ever  deeper,  deeper,  deeper 
Fell  the  snow  o'er  all  the  landscape, 
Fell  the  covering  snow,  and  drifted 
Through  the  forest,  round  the  village. 

O  the  famine  and  the  fever ! 

0  the  wasting  of  the  famine ! 

O  the  blasting  of  the  fever! 

O  the  wailing  of  the  children ! 

0  the  anguish  of  the  women  ! 

All  the  earth  was  sick  and  famished ; 

Hungry  was  the  air  around  them, 

Hungry  was  the  sky  above  them, 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  241 

And  the  hungry  stars  in  heaven 

Like  the  eyes  of  wolves  glared  at  them ! 

"  Give  your  children  food,  0  Father ! 

Give  us  food,  or  we  must  perish  ! 

Give  me  food  for  Minnehaha, 

For  my  dying  Minnehaha!" 

Through  the  far-resounding  forest, 

Through  the  forest  vast  and  vacant 

Rang  that  cry  of  desolation ; 

But  there  came  no  other  answer 

Than  the  echo  of  his  crying, 

Than  the  echo  of  the  woodlands, 

"Minnehaha!  Minnehaha!"  Longfellow. 

6.       BABIE    BELL. 

It  came  upon  us  by  degrees, 

We  saw  its  shadow  ere  it  fell, 
The  knowledge  that  our  God  had  sent 
-His  messenger  for  Babie  Bell. 

We  shuddered  with  unlanguaged  pain, 
And  all  our  thoughts  ran  into  tears, 

Like  sunshine  into  rain. 

We  cried  aloud  in  our  belief, 
"  Oil,  smite  us  gently,  gently,  God  ! 
Teach  vs  to  bend  and  kiss  the  rod, 

And  perfect  grow  through  grief." 
Ah,  how  we  loved  her,  God  co.n  tell ; 

Her  heart  was  folded  deep  in  ours ; 
Our  hearts  are  hrohen,  Bahie  Bell.  aldrich 


To-morrow,  and  to-morrow,  and  to-morrow, 
Creeps  in  this  petty  pace  from  day  to  day 
To  the  last  syllable  of  recorded  time, 
And  all  our  yesterdays  have  lighted  fools 

The    way    to    dusty    death.  Shakespeare. 

16  ' 


242  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

8.     NEW  year's  eve. 
You  '11  bury  me,  my  mother,  just  beneath  the  hawthorn 

shade ; 
And  you  11   come   sometimes   and   see   me  where   I    am 

lowly  laid. 
I  shall  not  t'ovget  you,  motlier;  I  shall  hear  you  when 

you  pass, 
"With  your  feet  above  my  head  in  the  long  and  pleasant 

grass. 

Good-night,  good-night !     AVhen  I  have  said   good-night 

for  evermore. 
And  you  see  me  carried  out  from  tlie   threshold   of  the 

door. 
Do  n't  let  Eflfie  come  to  see  me  till  my  grave  be  growing 

green — 
She  'II  be  a  better  child  to  you  than  ever  I  have  been. 

Ti:xxysoN's  May  Queen. 
9.      FROM    "bertha    IX   THE    LANE." 

[Tills  extract   should    be  read   xoith   subdued  force,  sloio  movement, 
and  frevailing  'poetic  monotone  and  semitmie.'] 

Colder  grow  my  hands  and  feet ; — 
When  I  Avear  the  shroud  I  made. 

Let  the  folds  lie  straight  and  neat. 
And  the  rosemary  be  spread ; — 

That  if  any  friend  should  come 

(To  see  thee,  sweet !),  all  the  room 

May  be  lifted  out  of  gloom. 

And,  dear  Bertha,  let  me  keep 

On  my  hand  this  little  ring — 
Which  at  nights,  Avhen  others  sleep, 

I  can  still  see  glittering. 
Let  me  wear  it  out  of  sight, 
In  the  grave — where  it  will  light 
All  the  dark  up,  day  and  night. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  243 

Oil  that  grave  drop  not  a  tear ! 

Else,  though  fathom-deep  the  place, 
Through  the  woolen  shroud  I  wear 

I  shall  feel  it  on  my  face. 
Eather  smile  there,  blessed  one, 
Thinking  of  me  in  the  sun ; 
Or  forget  me— smiling  on  !  e.  b.  browning. 

VII.    Eecapitulation  OF  Quality. 

1.  Pure  tone  is  the  tone  of  ordinary  conversation,  and 
of  ufiimjjassiojicd  didactic,  narrative,  or  descrijjtive  reading. 

2.  The  orotund  is  the  tone  expressive  of  deep  feeling, 
of  reverence,  of  sublimity,  and  of  grandeur.  It  prevails 
in  oratorical  declamation,  and  in  the  reading  or  recita- 
tion of  lyric  or  dramatic  poetry. 

3.  Aspirated  quality  is  expressive  of  secrecy,  feebleness, 
terror,  horror,  and  amazement. 

4.  Gidtural  quality  is  expressive  of  disgust,  impatience, 
hatred,  and  revenge. 

5.  The  semitone  is  the  plaintive  expression,  in  the  mijior 
key,  of  jJif'ihos,  pity,  grief,  or  entreaty. 

Examples  of  Quality. 

PURE   TONE. 

Was  it  the  chime  of  a  tiny  bell 

That  came  so  sweet  to  my  dreaming  ear  ? 

OROTUND. 

1.  Build  thee  more  stately  mansions,  0  my  soul ! 

2.  And  let  the  bass  of  heaven's  deep  organ  blow. 

WHISPER. 

To  bed,  to  bed  ;   there 's  knocking  at  the  gate. 
Come,  come,  come,  give  me  your  hand. 


244  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

ASPIRATED. 

Angels,  and  ministers  of  grace,  defend  us. 

GUTTURAIi. 

How  like  a  fawning  publican  he  looks ! 

SEMITONE. 

For  Heaven's  sake,  Hubert,  let  me  not  be  bouud. 

VIII.     General  Review  Drill. 

1.  Repeat,  three  times,  the  long  vowel  sounds,  a,  e,  I, 
5,  li :  (1)  With  moderate  rising  inflection.  (2)  Moderate 
falling  inflection.  (3)  High  rising  inflection.  (4)  Em- 
pliatic  falling  inflection.  (5)  High  rising  circumflex. 
(G)  Emotional  falling  circumflex.     (7)  Low  monotone. 

2.  Repeat,  three  times,  a,  e,  I,  o,  ii :  (1)  With  very- 
soft  force.  (2)  With  soft  force.  (3)  With  moderate 
force.     (4)  Loud  force.     (5)  Very  loud  force. 

3.  Repeat,  three  times,  a,  e,  I,  o,  ii :  (1)  With  the 
median  stress.  (2)  With  the  radical  stress.  (3)  With 
compound  stress.  (4)  With  vanishing  stress.  (5)  Thor- 
ough stress.     (6)  With  intermittent  stress. 

4.  Repeat,  three  times,  a,  e,  I,  o,  ii :  (1)  With  slow 
movement.  (2)  With  moderate  movement.  (3)  With 
fast  movement. 

5.  Repeat,  three  times,  a,  o,  i,  o,  u :  (1)  With  very- 
high  pitch.  (2)  Witli  high  pitch.  (3)  With  middle 
pitch.     (4)    W^ith   low  pitcli.     (o)  With   very  low  pitcli. 

6.  Repeat,  three  times,  a,  e,  I,  5,  u :  (1)  With  the 
whisper.     (2)  W^ith   pure   tone.     (3)    With   the   orotund. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  245 


CHAPTER   VI. 

MODULATION    AND    STYLE  OF 
EXPRESSION. 


SECTION   I. 
MODULATION. 

1.  Modulation  is  the  variation  in  the  tones  of  the 
voice  in  order  to  express  the  ever-varying  thought, 
feeling,  emotion,  or  passion   to   be  expressed. 

2.  These  changes  depend  largely  upon  the  perception, 
taste,  and  judgment  of  readers ;  upon  the  extent  to 
which  readers  are  capable  of  entering  into  the  spirit  of 
what  they  read  ;  and  upon  the  flexibility  of  the  voice 
in  expressing  different  shades  of  emotion  by  appropri- 
ate tones. 

3.  There  are  certain  general  principles  that  control 
modulation,  but  there  are  no  fixed  rules  of  detail  which 
can  be  applied  in  the  exercise  of  "  good  taste." 

4.  "  The  importance  of  this  principle  of  adaptation  of 
voice,"  says  Prof.  William  Eussell,  "  may  be  perceived 
by  adverting  to  the  fact,  that  nothing  so  impairs  the 
effect  of  address,  as  the  want  of  spirit  and  expression 
in   elocution. 

5.  "  No  gravity  of  tone,  or  intensity  of  utterance,  or 
precision  of  enunciation,  can  atone  for  the  absence  of 
that  natural  change  of  voice,  by  which  the  ear  is  enabled 
to  receive  and  recognize  the  tones  of  the  various  emo- 
tions accompanying  the  train  of  thought  which  the 
speaker  is  expressing.     These,  and  these  only,  can  indi- 


246  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

cate  his   own  sense  of  what  he  utters,  or  communicate 
it  by  sympathy  to  his  audience. 

6.  "  The  adaptation  of  the  voice  to  the  expression  of 
sentiment  is  not  less  important,  when  considered  in  ref- 
erence to  meaning,  as  dependent  on  distinctions  strictly 
intellectual,  or  not  necessarily  implying  a  vivid  or  varied 
succession  of  emotions. 

7.  "  The  correct  and  adequate  representation  of  con- 
tinuous or  successive  thought,  requires  its  appropriate 
intonation  ;  as  may  be  observed  in  those  tones  of  voice 
which  naturally  accompany  discussion  and  argument, 
even  in  their  most  moderate  forms. 

8.  "The  modulation  or  varying  of  tone  is  important, 
also,  as  a  matter  of  cultivated  taste.  It  is  the  appropri- 
ate grace  of  vocal  expres.sion ;  it  has  a  charm  founded 
in  the  constitution  of  our  nature ;  it  touches  the  finest 
and  deepest  sensibilities  of  the  soul ;  it  constitutes  the 
spirit  and  eloquence  of  the  human  voice,  whether  re- 
garded as  the  noblest  instrument  of  music,  or  the 
appointed  channel  of  thought  and  feeling." 

I.      GENER.A.L   PllINCIPLES. 

1.  A  loiv  key  is  the  natural  expression  of  awe,  rever- 
ence, solemnity,  sadness,  and  melancholy  ;  a  high  hey,  of 
violent  passions,  such  as  anger  and  rage,  joy  and  exulta- 
tion. The  oiriddle  Jccy  is  the  natural  pitch  of  conversation, 
and  of  uninipassioned  narrative,  descriptive,  or  didactic 
writing. 

2.  Soft  or  gentle  force  is  expressive  of  subdued  feeling, 
pathos,  and  tenderness ;  loncl  force,  of  strong  passions 
and  oratorical  declamation ;  moderate  force,  of  unimpas- 
sioned   thought. 

3.  Slow  movement  is  appropriate  to  the  expression  of 
deep  thought,  power,  grandeur,  sublimity,  solenmity ;  fast 
movement  is    characteristic   of  vivacity,  joy,  and   uncon- 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  247 

trolled   passion ;    moderate    movement,   of    unimpassioned 
narrative,  descriptive,  or  didactic  pieces. 

4.  The  ivliis'pcr  is  expressive  of  secrecy,  silence,  or 
extreme  fear ;  guttural  quality,  of  revenge,  hatred,  despair, 
horror,  or  loathing ;  the  orotund,  of  power,  grandeur, 
vastness,  sublimity ;  the  falsetto,  of  puerility  or  weak- 
ness ;   the  semitone,  of  sadness  and  pathetic  entreaty. 

5.  The  radical  stress  is  expressive  of  command, 
assertion,  force,  power,  and  excited  feelings ;  the  median 
stress,  of  peace,  tranquillity,  solemnity,  grandeur,  sub- 
limity, reverence,   and  awe. 

6.  Then  there  is  the  variety  that  arises  from  imitative 
reading,  or  the  suiting  of  the  sound  to  the  word,  phrase, 
or  sentence ;  and  that  of  jjcrsonation,  or  the  changes  of 
expression  to  denote  the  different  characters  in  a  dia- 
logue or  play. 

II.     Style  of  Eeading. 

1.  The  following  analysis  of  a  good  style  of  reading 
is  taken  from  Russell's  "  American  School  Eeader  " :  "  If 
we  observe  attentively  tlie  voice  of  a  good  reader  or 
speaker,  we  shall  find  liis  style  of  utterance  marked  by 
the  following  traits.  His  voice  pleases  the  ear  by  its 
very  sound.  It  is  wholly  free  from  affected  suavity ; 
yet,  while  perfectly  natural,  it  is  round,  smooth,  and 
agreeable.  It  is  equally  free  from  the  faults  of  feeble- 
ness and   of  undue  loudness. 

2.  "  It  is  perfectly  distinct,  in  the  execution  of  every 
sound,  in  every  word.  It  is  free  from  errors  of  negli- 
gent usage  and  corrupted  style  in  pronunciation.  It 
avoids  a  measured,  rhythmical  chant,  on  the  one  hand, 
and   a  broken,   irregular   movement,   on   the   other. 

3.  "It  renders  expression  clear,  l)y  an  attentive  ob- 
servance of  appropriate  pauses,  and  gives  weight  and 
effect  to  sentiment,  by  occasional  impressive  cessations 
of  voice.     It  sheds  light  on  the   meaning  of   sentences, 


248  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

by  the  emphatic  force  which  it  gives  to  significant  and 
expressive  words. 

4.  "  It  avoids  the  '  school '  tone  of  uniform  inflections, 
and  varies  the  voice  upward  or  downward,  as  the  suc- 
cessive clauses  of  a  sentence  demand.  It  marks  the 
character  of  every  emotion,  by  its  peculiar  traits  of 
tone ;  and  hence  its  effect  upon  the  ear,  in  the  utterance 
of  connected  sentences  and  paragraphs,  is  like  that  of 
a  varied  melody,  in  music,  played  or  sung  with  ever- 
varying  feeling  and  expression," 


SECTION   IL 

THE  READING   OF  POETRY. 

I.     Introductoky. 

1.  Pupils  are  sometimes  told  to  read  verse  as  if  it  were 
prose.  Such  a  direction  may  be  given  to  counteract 
the  tendency  to  sing-song,  or  it  may  be  applied  in  the 
reading  of  doggerel  rhymes;  but  it  cannot  be  applied  to 
the  reading  of  'poeiry. 

2.  Poetry,  being  the  language  of  imagination,  senti- 
ment, or  passion,  requires,  as  compared  with  prose,  a 
greater  variety  of  expression.  Moreover,  poetry  is 
rhythmical  and  melodious,  and,  in  reading  it,  attention 
must  be  given  to  movement  and  hatmony. 

3.  "  The  modulation  of  the  voice,"  says  Prof.  Piussell, 
"  in  adaptation  to  different  species  of  metrical  composi- 
tion, is  indispensable  to  the  appropriate  or  effective 
reading  of  verse.  The  purest  forms  of  poetry  become, 
when  deprived  of  this  aid,  nothing  but  awkward  prose. 
A  just  and  delicate  observance  of  the  effect  of  meter, 
on  the  other  hand,  is  one  of  the  surest  means  of  im- 
parting that  inspiration  of  feeling  which  it  is  the  de- 
sign of  poetry  to  produce." 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  249 

4.  In  the  reading  of  poetry,  the  pupil  should  bear  in 
mind  the  following  hints  :  (1)  The  movement,  or  time, 
in  verse,  is  generally  slower  than  in  prose,  the  vowel 
and  liquid  sounds  being  slightly  prolonged.  (2)  In 
poetry,  as  compared  with  pi'ose,  the  force,  is  somewdiat 
softened  for  the  sake  of  melody.  (3)  The  existence  of 
meter  in  poetry  requires  a  rendering  of  verse  different 
from  the  reading  of  prose.  The  meter  should  not  be 
made  prominent,  but  should  be  delicately  indicated.  As 
in  prose,  attention  must  be  given  to  the  sense,  to  em- 
phasis, and  to  inflection. 


II.   C.ESURAL  Pauses. 

The  caesural  pause  is  a  sliglit  rest  occurring  some- 
where near  the  middle  of  the  line  in  certain  kinds  of 
verse.  In  heroic  and  blank  verse,  it  commonly  falls  at 
the  end  of  the  fourth  syllable.  In  smoothly  written 
verse,  the  grammatical  pause  marking  a  phrase  or  a 
clause  is  often  made  to  coincide  with  the  caesural  pause. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  This  is  the  place,  |  the  centre  of  the  grove  : 
Here  stands  the  oak,  |  the  monarch  of  the  wood. 
How  sweet  and  solemn  |  is  this  midnight  scene ! 
The  silver  moon,  |  unclouded,  holds  her  way 
Through  skies  where  I  |  could  count  each  little  star; 
The  fanning  west  wind  |  scarcely  stirs  the  leaves. 

2.  A  man  he  was  |  to  all  the  country  dear. 
And  passing  rich  |  with  forty  pounds  a  year; 
Remote  from  towns  |  he  ran  his  godly  race. 

Nor  e'er  had  changed,  ]  nor  wished  to  change,  his  place ; 
Unpracticed  he  ]  to  fawn,  or  seek  for  power, 
By  doctrines  fashioned  |  to  the  varying  hour; 
Far  other  aims  ]  his  heart  had  learned  to  prize. 
More  skilled  to  raise  [  the  wretched  than  to  rise. 


250  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

III.     Meter,  or  Rhythmical  Accent. 

1.  Meter  is  the  measure  of  rhythm,  or  metrical  feet, 
in  poetry.  One  diHereuce  between  the  reading  of  prose 
and  of  poetry  consists  in  the  distinctive  marking  of  the 
rhythm  in  verse.  If  read  without  regard  to  rhythm, 
the  sonorous  harmony  of  the  higher  forms  of  poetry  is 
lost. 

2.  As  some  knowledge  of  prosody  is  generally  obtained 
from  the  school  te.xt-books  on  rhetoric,  only  an  allusion 
to  the  subject  is  necessary  in  a  manual  of  elocution. 

3.  In  reading  poetry,  the  measure  should  be  delicately 
indicated,  but  not  made  so  prominent  as  to  run  into 
sing-song,  or  to  break  the  grammatical  relation  of  words. 

4.  The  melody  of  verse  often  depends  on  making  some 
word,  or  successive  words,  slightly  emphatic,  as  in  the 
following  line  from  Longfellow's  "  Psalm  of  Life : " 

"And  things  |  are  not  \  ivhat  they  ]  seem." 
If  "  not "  is  emphasized,  the   rhythm   is   broken.     So   in 
the    successive    stanzas    of    Bryant's    "Planting   of   the 
Apple-tree,"  the  emphasis  in  the  last   line   of  the   suc- 
cessive stanzas  falls  as  follows  : 

1.  "  So  'plant  we  |  the  apple-tree." 

2.  "When  we  plant  ]  the  ai^ple-tree"  etc. 

IV.    Kinds  of  Verse. 

1.  The  following  summary  from  Prof.  Piussell's  "Amer- 
ican Elocutionist "  may  be  of  interest  to  the  critical 
student:  "The  influence  of  the  various  kinds  of  verse 
on  the  voice  may  be  considered  as  aifecting  generally 
the  rate,  or  movement,  and  the  time,  of  utterance. 

2.  "  Thus,  hlank  verse  is  remarkably  slow  and  stately 
in  the  character  of  its  tone ;  and  the  timing  of  the 
pauses  requires  attention  chiefly  to  length.  Heroic  verse 
is  commonly  in  the  same  prevailing  strain,  but  not  to 
such  an  extent  as  the  preceding. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  251 

3.  "The  odo-syUabic  meter  is  generally  more  quick  and 
lively  in  its  movement,  and  tlie  pauses  are  comparatively 
brief.  But,  under  the  influence  of  slow  time,  it  gives 
intensity  to  grief,  and  tenderness  to  the  pathetic  tone. 

4.  "  The  quatrain,  or  four-lined  stanza,  in  the  common 
form  (called  sometimes  common  meter),  has  a  compara- 
tively musical  arrangement  of  the  lines,  and  a  peculiar 
character  in  its  cadence,  which  admits  of  its  expressing 
the  extremes  of  emotion  whether  grave  or  gay.  It  prevails, 
accordingly,  in  hymns  and  in  ballads  alike,  wliether  the 
latter  are  |?a^/it'^w  or  humorous.  It  derives  the  former 
character  from  the  observance  of  slow  rate,  and  the  lat- 
ter from  quick  rate. 

5.  "  Trochaic  verse  has  a  peculiar  energy,  from  the 
abruptness  of  its  character — the  foot  commencing  either 
with  a  long  or  an  accented  syllable.  In  gay  2neces,  and 
with  quick  time  in  utterance,  it  produces  a  dancing  strain 
of  voice,  peculiai'ly  adapted  to  the  expression  of  joy ; 
while  in  grave  and  vehement  strains,  with  slow  time,  it 
produces  the  utmost  force  and  severity  of  tone.  These 
two  extremes  are  strikingly  exemplified  in  Milton's 
'  L' Allegro '  and  '  II  Penseroso.' 

6.  "  Ana2)C€stic  meter  has  a  peculiar /?///7ics,s  and  sweet- 
ness of  melody.  Sloiv  time  accordingly  renders  it  deeply 
pathetic,  and  quick  time  renders  it  the  most  graceful 
expression  of  joy.  This,  as  well  as  iambic  and  trochaic 
verse,  becomes  well  fitted  to  express  the  mood  of  calm- 
ness and  tranquillity,  when  the  rede  is  rendered  moderate." 

V.    Accent  of  Words. 

The  accent  of  a  word  is  sometimes  changed  to  prevent 
breaking  the  measure,  as  in  the  following  examples  : 

1.   Ye  icefalls !   ye  that  from  your  dizzy  heights 
Adown  enormous  rav^ines  slope  amain. 

2.    That  thou,  dead  corse,  arrayed  in  co^^'plete  steel. 


252  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

3.  And  these  few  precepts  in  thy  memory,  see  thou 
cbarac'ter. 

4.  Then  lend  the  eye  a  terrible  asjjecf. 

5.  I  must  be  patient  till  the  heavens  look  witli  an 
as^^ec^  more  favorable. 

Yl.    Final  -ed. 

The  final  -ed  is  often  sounded  as  a  separate  syllable, 
to  prevent  a  break  in  the  meter. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.    To  live  with  her  and  live  with  thee 
In  unreproveVZ  pleasures  free. 

2.  Of  linked  sweetness  long  drawn  out. 

3.  Rode  aimed  men  adown  the  glen. 

4.  Through  this  the  well-beloveVZ  Brutus  stabbed. 

5.  And  as  he  plucked  his  cnrsed  steel  away. 

6.  To  wear  an  undeservetZ  dignity. 

7.  That  ovhed  maiden  with  white  fire  laden. 

8.  Whereat  she  smiled  with  so  sweet  a  cheer. 

9    While  tliat  the  armdd  hand  doth  fight  abroad, 
The  advised  head  defends  itself  at  home. 

YII.      ElIYME. 

In  reading  poetry,  the  words  that  rhyme  must  some- 
times be  specially  emphasized.  Sometimes,  also,  the  pro- 
nunciation of  a  word  may  be  changed  to  make  it  rhyme 
Milh  another  word,  as  wiud  for  wind. 

In  reading  the  following  couplet  from  Hudibras, 
"And  pulpit,  drum  ecclesiastic, 
He  beat  with  drum  instead  of  a  stick," 
it   becomes  necessary  to   emphasize   the  a,  or  rather  to 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  253 

sound  the  two  words  "a  stick"  like  a  word  of  two  syl- 
lables accented  on  the  first,  thus — a'stich. 

In  reading  the  following  lines  from  the  same  poem, 
the  word  "  coloneling "  is  pronounced  exactly  as  it  is 
spelled,  coto  ncl  ing,  in  four  syllables : 

"  Then  did  Sir  Knight  abandon  dwelling. 
And  out  he  rode  a-coloncling." 
Also,  in  the  following, 

"And  wisely  tell  what  hour  o'  tli'  day 
The  clock  does  strike,  by  algebra," 
the  long  sound  is  given  to  final  a  in  algebra,  to  make 
the  word  rhyme  with  day. 

In  the  following  couplets  from  Holmes,  the  rhyming 
words  are  italicized  for  emphasis : 
"  It  is  a  pity  and  a  shame — alas !   alas !   I  knoiv  it  is. 
To  tread  the  trodden  grapes   again,  but  so  it  has  been, 
so  it  is." 
In  this   example  the  three  words,   "  know  it   is,"   are 
pronounced  like  a  word  of  three  syllables,  accented   on 
the  first,  thus — hnow'-it-is ;   so,  also,  so'-it-is. 

VIII,    Examples  of  Ehyme. 

1.      AT   THE   ATLANTIC   DINNER. 

I  suppose  it 's  myself  that  you  're  making  allusion  to. 
And  bringing  the  sense  of  dismay  and  confusion  to. 
Of  course  soine  must  speak — they  are  always  selected  to. 
But  pray  what 's  the  reason  that  I  am  expected  to  ? 
I  'm  not  fond  of  wasting  my  breath  as  those  fellows  do 
That  want  to  be  blowing  forever  as  bellows  do ; 
Their  legs  are  uneasy,  but  why  will  you  jog  any 
That  long  to  stay  quiet  beneath  the  mahogany  ? 

Holmes. 
2.       CLASS    MEETING,   187.5. 

It  is  a  pity  and  a  shame — alas !   alas  !   I  know  it  is. 
To   tread   the   trodden  grapes  again,  but  so  it  has  been, 
so  it  is ; 


254  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Tlie   purple  vintage   long   is  past,  with   ripened   clusters 

bursting;  so 
They  filled  the  wine-vats  to  the  brim — 't  is  strange  you 

will  be  thirsting  so  ! 

For  who  can  tell  by  what  he  likes  what  other  people's 
fancies  are  ? 

How  all  men  think  the  best  of  wives  their  own  par- 
ticular Nancies  are  ! 

If  what  I  sing  you  brings  a  smile,  you  will  not  stop 
to  catechise, 

Nor  read  Boeotia's  lumltering  line  with  nicely  scanning 
Attic  eyes. 

Though  on  the  once  unfurrowed  brows  the  harrow-teeth 

of  Time  may  show, 
Though   all   the   strain   of    crippling    years    the   lialting 

feet  of  rhyme  may  show, 
AYe  look  and  hear  with  melting  liearts,  fur  what  we  all 

remember  is 
The   morn   of    Spring,    nor   heed   how    chill   the    sky   of 

gray  November  is. 

Thanks  to   the  gracious  powers   above  from  all   mankind 

that  singled  us, 
And    dropped    the    pearl  of  friendship  in    the    cup    they 

kindly  mingled  us, 
And   bound   us   in   a  wreath    of  fiowcrs    with    hoops    of 

steel  knit  under  it;  — 
Nor  time,  nor  space,  nor  chance,  nor  change,  nor  deatli 

himself  shall  sunder  it !  holmes. 


SCHOOL     ELOCUTION.  255 

SECTION   III. 
I  MIT  A  TJ  VE    HE  A  BIN  G. 

The  extent  to  which  imitative  reading,  or  the  suiting 
of  sound  to  sense,  may  properly  be  carried,  in  certain 
chisses  of  selections,  is  a  matter  in  regard  to  which 
tliere  is  a  diversity  of  opinion  among  elocutionists.  It 
is  one  of  those  questions  of  taste  that  cannot  he  regu- 
lated by  definite  directions  applicable  to  all  cases.  Some 
general  principles,  however,  may  be  laid  down,  from 
which  there  is  no  intelliizent  dissent. 

The  style  of  reading  should  be  imitative  in  the  sense 
of  making  it  conform  to  the  spirit  and  meaning  of  the 
piece. 

In  the  utterance  of  words  in  which  the  sound  seems 
to  approximate  to  the  sense,  such  as  huzz,  hiss,  thunder, 
groan,  sigh,  scream,  etc.,  the  tone  may  be  suggestive  of 
the  idea.  Thus,  in  reading  such  passages  as, 
" From  his  lips  escaped  a  groan" 
though  an  actual  groan  would  be  ridiculous,  the  W'ord 
"  groan "  may  be   uttered  so  as  to  suggest  a  groan. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  Hear  the  loud  alarum  bells — hrcizcn  hells. 

2.  Clang !  elang  I  tlie  massive  anvils  ring. 

3.  Bloio,  bugle ;  answer  echoes,  dying,  dying,  dying. 

4.  Oh !  the  hells  I  what  a  tale  their  terror  tells 

Of  despair ! 
How  they  clang,  and  clash,  and  roar, 
What  a  horror  they  outpour 

On  the  bosom  of  the  palpitating  air  ! 

Wherever  the  author  distinctly  suggests  an  imitation, 
it  should  be  given  so  far  as  is  consistent  with  good 
taste.     Thus,  when  Longfellow  writes, 

"  And  loud  that  clarion  voice  replied," 


256  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

it   is    evident   that   tlie   refrain,  "  Excelsior ! "   should    be 
given   in   a   loud,   clear,   resonant   manner. 

Examples   for  Peactice. 

1.  A  voice  replied  far  np  the  height,  "Excelsior!" 

2.  She  seemed  in  the  same  silver  tones  to  say, 

"  Passing  away,  passing  away  ! " 

3.    What  this  grim,  ungainly,  ghastly,  gaunt,  and  ominous 
bird  of  yore 

Meant  in  croaking,  "Xevermore." 

4.  An  ancient  time-piece  says  to  all, 

"  Forever — never  !     Never — -forever  !  " 

5.  "To  all  the  truth  we  tell,  we  tell," 
Shouted  in  ecstasies  a  bell. 

6.       BUNKER    HILL. 

How  the  bayonets  gleamed  and  glistened,  as  we  looked 
far  down  and  listened 

To  the  tramjylinu  and  the  drum-heat  of  the  belted  gren- 
adiers. 

Over  heaps  all  torn  and  gory — shall  I  tell  the  fearful 
story, 

How  they  surged  above  the  hreastivork  as  a  sea  hreal:^ 
der   a   deck ; 

How,  driven,  yet  scarce  defeated,  our  M^orn-out  men 
retreated, 

"Witli  their  powder-horns  all  emptied,  like  the  swimmers 
from  a  wreck!  holmes. 

Imitation  should  not  be  too  literal.  The  attempt  is 
sometimes  made  in  reading  Tennyson's  "Bugle  Song," 
to  give  a  realistic  imitation  of  the  notes  of  a  bugle. 
While  the  professional  reader  may  attempt  such  a  feat 
of  vocal  gymnastics,  it  is  certainly  outside  of  the  limits 
of   good    taste    in    school    reading.     The    words,    "  Blow, 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  257 

bugle,  blow,"  may  be  given  with  a  prolonged  swell,  and 
in  a  thin,  ckar,  pure  tone,  so  as  to  suggest  the  bugle 
note. 

So  in  reciting  Poe's  "  Bells,"  the  imitative  renderinsr 
is  often  carried  to  a  ridiculous  extreme.  In  these  and 
similar  cases  it  is  not  a  literal  reproduction  of  the 
sound  that  should  be  attempted,  but  an  artistic  and 
idealized  suggestion  of  it. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  And  grummer,  grummer,  grummer. 
Rolled  the  drum  of  the  drummer, 

Through  the  morn. 

And  rounder,  rounder,  rounder, 
Roared  the  iron  six-pounder. 
Hurling  death. 

2.  I  hear  them  marching  o'er  the  hill ; 
I  hear  them  fainter,  fainter  stilL 

3.       CHURCH     BELLS. 

"  In  deeds  of  love,  excel !  excel ! " 
Chimed  out  from  ivied  towers  a  bell. 

"  0  heed  the  ancient  landmarks  well !  " 
In  solemn  tones  exclaimed  a  bell. 

"  Ye  purifying  waters  swell !  " 
In  mclloio  tones  rung  out  a  bell. 
"To  all  the  truth  we  tell!  we  tell!" 
Shouted  in  ecstasies  a  bell. 

4.       WHEN    THE    cows     COME    HOME. 

When  klingle,  klangie,  klingle, 

Far  down  the  dusty  dingle, 

The  cows  are  coming  home ; 
Xow  sweet  and  clear,  now  faint  and  low, 
The  airy  tinkliugs  come  and  go, 
Like  chimings  from  the  far-off  tower, 
17 


258  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Or  patterings  of  an  April  shower 
That  makes  the  daisies  grow. 
Ivo-ling,  ko-lang,  kolinglelingle, 
Far  down  the  darkeninsf  dingle. 
The  cows  are  coming  home. 

5.      CnAKCOAL. 

And  thus  from  morn  to  eve  he  cried, 

"  Charco' !  charco' ! " 
While  echo  faint  and  far  replied, 

"  Charco' !"—«  Hark,  0!" 

And  in  a  coaxing  tone  he  cries, 

"  Charco' !  charco' !  " 
And  baby  with  a  laiigh  replies, 

"  Ah,  go  !  "— "  Ah,  go  !  " 

"  Charco'  !  "— "  Ah,    go  !  "  Trowbridge. 

6.       FIRE. 

Fire  !  fire  !  fire  ! 
See  the  red  flames  leaping  higher. 

Feed  !  feal  I  'pcal ! 
Bells  of  brass  and  bells  of  steel. 

Crash  !  crash  !  crash  ! 
See  the  fiery  surges  lash ! 

Fire  !  fire  !  fire  ! 
Bristles  every  tli robbing  wire. 

7.  EXCELSIOR. 

And  like  a  silver  clarion  rung — "  Excelsior  !  " 
And  from  his  lips  escaped  a  groan — " Excelsior l^ 
But  still  he  answered  with  a  sigh — "Excelsior  !" 
A  voice  replied  far  up  tlie  height — "Excelsior !" 

8.  THE    BELLS. 

Hear  tlic  sledges  with  tlie  hells — silver  bells  !    . 
What  a  world  of  mh'riment  their  melody  foretells ! 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  259 

Hear  the  mellow  wklding  bells — {joldeii  bells  ! 
What  a  world  of  hdppi7icss  their  harmony  foretells  ! 

Hear  the  loud  alarum  bells — brazen  bells ! 

What  a  tale  of  terror  now  their  turbulency  tells  ! 

Hear  the  tolling  of  the  bells — iron  bells  ! 

What  a  world  of  solemn  thought  their  monody  compels! 

POE. 


SECTION   IV. 
EXERCISES  IN  MODULATION. 

Modulation  is  the  variation  of  voice  according  to  the 
sentiment,  thought,  or  emotion  to  be  expressed.  In  im- 
passioned reading,  tones  are  the  most  prominent  quali- 
ties of  voice. 

Thorough  drill  on  the  following  examples  will  break 
up  the  tendency  of  pupils  to  read  all  kinds  of  selections 
in  one  formal  "  school-tone."  It  is  left  for  teachers  and 
pupils  to  exercise  their  own  judgment  and  taste  in  the 
rendering  of  these  extracts,  which  embrace  a  wide  range 
of  expression. 

EXAMPLES. 

1.  Blow,  bugle,  blow,  set  the  Mild  echoes  flyiug, 
Blow,  bugle,  answer  echoes,  dying,  dying,  dying. 

2.  The  loud  wind  dwindled  to  a  whisper  low. 

3.  There  is  a  silence  where  no  sound  may  be. 

4.  I  hear  them  marching  o'er  the  hill, 
I  hear  tliem  fainter,  fainter  still. 

5.  "  Cusha,  cusha,  cusha,"  calling. 

6.  To  arms !   to  arms !   to  arms  !   they  cry. 

7.  Arm!  arm  ! — it  is — it  is  the  cannon's  opening  roar. 

8.  Advance  your  standards,  draw  your  willing  swords  ! 


260  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

9.    Pity  the  sorrows  of  a  poor  old  man. 

10.  Ring,  joyous  chords  ! — ring  out  again ! 

11.  Eoll  on,  thou  deep  and  dark  blue  ocean,  roIL 

12.  Come  and  trip  it,  as  ye  go, 
On  the  li"ht  fantastic  toe. 

13.  But  hush  !  hark !  a  deep  sound  strikes  like  a  ris- ' 
ing  knell. 

14.  Away !   away  !   and  on  we  dash. 

15.  Forivard  the  light  brigade! 

16.  All's  hushed  as  midnight  yet. 

17.  Hail !   holy  light,  offspring  of  Heaven,  first  born. 

18.  Liberty!   Freedom!   Tyranny  is  dead! 

19.  Silence  how  dead  !   and  darkness  how  profound  ! 

20.  Or  whispering  with    white    lips,  "  The   foe  !   they 
come,  tliey  come  !  " 

21.  Joy  !  joy  !     Shout,  shout  aloud  for  joy  I 

22.  Strike !    till  the  last  armed  foe  expires ! 

23.  How  like  a  fawning  publican  he  looks ! 

24.  Thou  hast  all  seasons  for  thine  own,  0  Death  ! 

25.  liing  the  alarm-bell !     Murder !    and  treason  ! 

26.  Hide  softly  !   ride    slowly  !   tlie  onset  is  near ! 
Move  slowly  !  move  softly !    tlie  sentr}^  may  hear. 

27.  No !   by  St.  Bride  of  Bothwell,  no  1 

28.  On  a  sudden  open  fly 

The  infernal  gates,  and  on  tlioir  hinges  grate 
Harsh  tlnmder  ! 

29.  Heaven  opened  wide 

Her  ever-during  gates,  harmonious  sound, 
On  iiolden  hinges  turninfj. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  261 

30.  But  gentler  now  tlie  small  waves  glide, 
Like  playful  lambs  on  a  mountain  side. 

31.  With  many  a  weary  step,  and  many  a  groan, 
Up  the  high  hill  he  heaves  a  huge  round  stone. 

32.  When  Ajax  strives  some  rock's  vast  weight  to  throw, 
The  line,  too,  labors,  and  the  words  move  slow. 

33.  Soft  is  the  strain  when  zephyr  gently  blows, 

And  the  smooth  stream  in  smoother  numbers  flows. 
But  when  loud  surges  lash  the  sounding  shore, 
The  hoarse  rough  verse  should  like  the  torrent  roar. 

34.  Clang !  clang !  the  massive  anvils  ring, 
Clang !  clang !  a  hundred  hammers  swing  j 
Like  the  thunder  rattle  of  a  tropic  sky, 
The  mighty  blows  still  multiply. 

35.      SONG   OF   THE   SHIRT. 

Work  !  work  !  work  I 
Till  the  brain  begins  to  swim ; 

Work  !  work  !  work  ! 
Till  the  eyes  are  heavy  and  dim ! 

Seam,  and  gusset,  and  baud, 
Band,  and  gusset,  and  seam, 

Till  over  tlie  buttons  I  fall  asleep. 
And  sew  them  on  in  a  dream !  hood. 

36.      THE  TWO   VOICES   FROM   THE   GRAVE. 
First   Voice. 

How  frightful  the  grave !  how  deserted  and  drear ! 
With  the  howls  of  the  storm-wind,  the  creaks  of  the  bier. 
And  the  white  bones  all  clattering  together ! 

Second  Voice. 
How  peaceful  the  grave !  its  quiet  how  deep ! 
Its  zephyrs  breathe  calmly,  and  soft  is  its  sleep, 
And  flow'rets  perfume  it  with  ether. 


262  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

37.  MILITARY  COMMAND. 

"  Forward  the  Light  Brigade ! 
Charge  for  the  guus ! "  he  said. 
Shoulder  arms  !     Forward  march  !     Halt ! 
Charge  !    Chester,  charge  !     On  !   Stanley,  on ! 

38.  THE  hekald's  call. 
Rejoice,  ye  men  of  Angiers,  ring  your  bells, 

King  John,  your  king  and  England's,  doth  approach. 
Open  your  gates  and  give  the  victor  way. 


SECTION"   V. 
DIALECT  BEADING  AND  PERSONATION. 

lu  dialect  reading,  the  peculiarities  of  speech  should 
be  reproduced  with  fidelity,  but  should  not  be  exagger- 
ated. In  the  reading  of  dialogues  there  is,  of  necessity, 
a  marked  change  of  tone  and  manner  when  the  reader 
personates  two  or  more  characters. 

Examples  of  Dlvlect  Reading. 

1.      SKIPPER   IRESON's   RIDE. 

Scores  of  women,  old  and  young, 
Strong  of  muscle,  and  glib  of  tongue, 
Piislied  and  pulled  up  the  rocky  lane, 
Shoutino-  and  sinaing  the  shrill  refrain : 
"  Here  's  Flud  Oirson,  fur  his  horrd  Iwrrt, 
Torrd  an'  futherr'd  an'  corr'd  in  a  corrt 
By  the  loomcn  d  Morhle'cad  !"        -whittier. 

2.     THE  deacon's  masterpiece. 
But  the  Deacon  swore,  as  deacons  do. 
With  an  " /  deio  viim,"  or  an  " /  tell  ycou" 
He  would  build  one  shay  to  beat  the  iaown, 
'n'  the  kaonnty  'n'  all  the  Tceniry  raouvH ; 
It  should  be  so  built  that  it  couldvH  break  daown. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  263 

"Fur,"  said  the  Deacon,  "'t's  mighty  plain 

Thut  the  weakes'  phice  mus'  stan'  the  strain ; 

'ii'  the  way  t'  fix  it,  uz  I  maintain, 

Is  only  jest 

T'  make  that  place  uz  strong  uz  the  rest." 

HoiriEs. 

3.      SPRING. 

0  little  city-gals,  do  n't  never  go  it 
Blind  on  the  word  o'  noospaper  or  poet ! 
They're  apt  to  puff,  an'  May-day  seldom  looks 
Up  in  the  country  ez  it  doos  in  books ; 

They're  no  more  like  than  hornets'-nests  an'  hives, 
Or  printed  sarmons  be  to  holy  lives. 
I,  with  my  trouses  perched  on  cow-hide  boots, 
Tuggin'  my  foundered  feet  out  by  the  roots, 
Hev  seen  ye  come  to  fling  on  April's  hearse 
Your  muslin  nosegays  from  the  milliner's — 
Puzzlin'  to  find  dry  ground  your  queen  to  choose, 
An'  dance  your  throats  sore  in  morocker  shoes  ; 

1  've  seen  ye  an'  felt  proud,  thet,  come  wut  would. 
Our  Pilgrim  stock  wuz  pithed  with  hardihood. 
Pleasure  does  make  us  Yankees  kind  o'  winch, 
Ez  though  'twuz  sumthin'  paid  for  by  the  inch ; 
But  yit  we  du  contrive  to  worry  thru — 

Ef  Dooty  tells  us  thet  the  thing's  to  du — 

An'  kerry  a  hollerday,  ef  we  set  out, 

Ez  stiddily  ez  though  'twuz  a  redoubt.  lowell. 

4.       THE   GRIDIRON. 

Patrick.  I  beg  pardon,  sir ;  but  maybe  I  'm  under  a 
mistake,  but  I  thought  I  was  in  France,  sir.  An't  you 
all  furriners  here  ?     Parley  voo  frongsay  ? 

Frenchman.     Oui,  monsieur. 

Patrick.  Then,  would  you  lind  me  the  loan  of  a  grid- 
iron, if  you  plase  ?  I  know  it 's  a  liberty  I  take,  sir ; 
but  it 's  only  in  the  regard  of  bein'  cast  away ;  and  if 
you  plase,  sir,  parley  voo  frongsay  ? 


264  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Frenchman.     Oui,  monsieur,  oui. 

Fatrick.  Then  would  you  lind  me  the  loan  of  a  grid- 
iron, sir,  and  you  '11  obleege  me  ? 

Frencliman.     Monsieur,  pardon,  monsieur — 

Fatrick.     Then  lind  mo.  the  loan  of  a  gridiron,  I  say. 

Frenchmcin.     Oui,  oui,  monsieur. 

Patrick.  Then  lind  me  the  loan  of  a  gridiron,  and 
howld  your  prate.  Well,  I'll  give  you  one  chance  more, 
you  owld  thafe!  Are  you  a  Christian,  at  all,  at  all? 
Are  you  a  furriner  that  all  the  world  calls  so  p'lite  ? 
Bad  luck  to  you !  do  you  understand  your  mother 
tongue  ?  Parley  voo  frongsay  ?  ( Very  loud.)  Parley 
voo  frongsay  ? 

Frenchman.     Oui,   monsieur,  oui,  oui. 

Fatrick.  (Screaming.)  Thin  Unci  me  the  loan  of  a 
gridiron  ! 

5.      AFTER-DINNER  SPEECH   BY  A   FRENCHMAN. 

"  ]\Iilors  and  Gentlemans — You  excellent  chairman,  M. 
le  Baron  de  Mount-Stuart,  he  have  say  to  me,  '  Make 
de  toast.'  Den  I  say  to  him  dat  I  have  no  toast  to 
make ;  but  he  nudge  my  elbow  ver  soft,  and  say  dat 
dere  is  von  toast  dat  nobody  but  von  Frenchman  can 
make  proper ;  and,  derefore,  Avid  your  kind  permission, 
I  vill  make  de  toast.  '  De  brevete  is  de  sole  of  de  feet,' 
as  you  great  philosophere,  Dr.  Johnson,  do  say,  in  dat 
amusing  little  vork  of  his,  de  Pronouncing  Dictionnaire ; 
and,  derefore,  I  vill  not  say  ver  moch  to  de  point. 

"  Ah !  mes  amis !  ven  I  hear  to  myself  de  flowing 
speech,  de  oration  magnifique  of  you  Lor'  j\Iaire,  Mon- 
sieur Gobbledown,  I  feel  dat  it  is  von  great  privilege 
for  von  Stranger  to  sit  at  de  same  table,  and  to  eat  de 
same  food,  as  dat  grand,  dat  majestique  man,  who  are 
de  terreur  of  de  voleurs  and  de  brigands  of  de  metrop- 
olis; and  who  is  also,  I  for  to  suppose,  a  halterman 
and    de   chief  of    you   common   scoundrel.      Milors   and 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  265 

gentlemans,  I  feel  dat  I  can  perspire  to  no  greatare 
honneur  dun  to  be  von  common  scoundrelman  myself; 
but,  hdlas !  dat  plaisir  are  not  for  me,  as  I  arc  not  free- 
man of  your  great  citd,  not  von  liveryman  servant  of 
von  of  you  compagnies  joint-stock.  But  I  must  not 
forget  de  toast. 

"  Milors  and  Gentlemans  !  De  immortal  Shakispeare 
he  have  write,  '  De  ting  of  beauty  are  de  joy  for  never- 
more.' It  is  de  ladies  who  are  de  toast.  Vat  is  more 
entrancing  dan  de  charmante  smile,  de  soft  voice,  de 
vinkiug  eye  of  de  beautiful  lady  !  It  is  de  ladies  who 
do  sweeten  de  cares  of  life.  It  is  de  ladies  who  are  de 
guiding  stars  of  our  existence.  It  is  de  ladies  who  do 
cheer  but  not  inebriate,  and,  derefore,  vid  all  homage 
to  dere  sex,  de  toast  dat  I  have  to  propose  is,  'De 
Ladies  i     God  bless  deni  all ! ' " 

6.   DUNDREARY  IN  THE  COUNTRY. 

1.  Diwectly  after  the  season  is  over  in  town,  I  always 
go  into  the  countwy.  To  tell  you  the  twuth,  I  hate 
the  countwy — it 's  so  awful  dull — there  's  such  a  howid 
noise  of  nothing  all  day;  and  there  is  nothing  to  see 
but  gween  twees,  and  cows,  and  buttercups,  and  wab- 
bits,  and  all  that  sort  of  cattle — I  do  n't  mean  exactly 
cattle  either,  but  animals,  you  know. 

2.  And  then  the  earwigs  get  into  your  hair-bwushes 
if  you  leave  the  bed-woom  window  open ;  and  if  you 
lie  down  on  the  gwass,  those  howid  gwasshoppers,  all 
legs,  play  at  leap-frog  over  your  nose,  which  is  howible 
torture,  and  makes  you  weady  to  faint,  you  know,  if  it 
is  not  too  far  to  call  for  assistance. 

3.  And  the  howid  sky  is  always  blue,  and  everything 
bores  you ;  and  they  talk  about  the  sunshine,  as  if  there 
was  more  sunshine  in  tlie  countwy  than  in  the  city — 
which  is  abthurd,  you  know — only  the  countwy  sun  is 
hotter,  and  bvvings  you  all  out   in  those  howid  fweckles, 


266  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

and   turns   you   to   a   fwiteful   bwicky   color,  which  the 
wetches  call  healthy. 

4.  As  if  a  healthy  man  must  lose  his  complexion, 
and  become  of  a  bwicky  wed  color — ha,  ha  ! — b\\icky — 
howid — bwicky  wed  color — cawoty  wed  color  ! 

7.      THE   HEATHEN   CHIXEE. 

"Which  I  wish  to  remark — 

And  my  language  is  plain — 
That  for  ways  that  are  dark, 
And  for  tricks  that  are  vain, 
The  heathen  Chinee  is  peculiar. 
Which  the  same  I  would  rise  to  explain. 

Ah  Sin  was  his  name; 

And  I  shall  not  deny. 
In  regard  to  the  same, 

What  that  name  might  imply; 
But  his  smile  it  was  pensive  and  child-like. 
As  I  frequently  remarked  to  Bill  Xye. 

It  was  August  the  third, 

And  quite  soft  was  the  skies — 
Which  it  might  be  inferred 
That  Ah  Sin  was  likewise; 
Yet  he  played  it  that  day  upon  William 
And  me  in  a  way  I  despise. 

Wliich  we  had  a  small  game, 

And  Ah  Sin  took  .a  hand ; 
It  was  Euchre.     The  same 
He  did  not  understand; 
But  he  smiled  as  he  sat  by  the  table, 
With  a  smile  that  was  child-like  and  bland. 

Yet  the  cards  they  were  stocked 

In  a  way  that  I  grieve, 
And  my  feelings  were  shocked 

At  the  state  of  Nye's  sleeve. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  2G7 

Which  was  stuffed  full  of  aces  and  bowers, 
And  the  same  with  intent  to  deceive. 

But  the  hands  that  were  played 

By  that  heathen  Chinee, 
And  the  points  that  he  made, 
"Were  quite  frightful  to  see ; 
Till  at  last  he  put  down  a  right  bower, 
Which  the  same  Nye  had  dealt  unto  me. 

Then  I  looked  up  at  Nye, 
And  he  gazed  upon  me; 
And  he  rose  with  a  sigh. 
And  said,  "  Can  this  be  ? 
We  are  ruined  by  Chinese  cheap  labor" — 
And  he  went  for  that  heathen  Chinee. 

In  the  scene  that  ensued 

I  did  not  take  a  hand; 
But  the  floor  it  was  strewed, 
Like  the  leaves  on  the  strand, 
With  the  cards  that  Ah  Sin  had  been  hiding, 
In  the  game  he  "did  not  understand." 

In  his  sleeves,  which  were  long. 

He  had  twenty-four  packs — 
Which  was  coming  it  strong, 
Yet  I  state  but  the  facts ; 
And  we  found  on  his  nails,  wdiich  were  taper, 
What  is  frequent  in  tapers — tliat's  wax. 

Which  is  why  I  remark — 

And  my  language  is  plain — 
That  for  ways  that  are  dark, 
And  for  tricks  that  are  vain, 
The  heathen  Chinee  is  peculiar, 
Which  the  same  I  am  free  to  maintain. 

Bret  Harte, 


268  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

8.   MARK  TWAIN  AND  THE  REPORTER. 

"Hoping  it's  no  harm,  I've  come  to  interview  you. 
I  am  connected  with  The  Daily  Thunderstorm." 

"  Come  to  what  ? " 

"  Intervieiv  you." 

"  Ah  !  I  see.     Yes — yes.     Um  !     Yes — yes." 

"Are  you  ready  to  begin?" 

"  Eeady." 

"  How  old  are  you  ? " 

"  Nineteen  in  June." 

"  Indeed !  I  would  have  taken  you  to  be  thirty-five 
or  six.     Where  were  you  born  ? " 

"In  Missouri?" 

"  When  did  you  begin  to  write  ? " 

"In  1836." 

"Why,  how  could  that  be,  if  you  are  only  nineteen 
now  ? " 

"  I  do  n't  know.     It  does  seem  curious,  somehow." 

"It  does  indeed.  Whom  do  you  consider  the  most 
remarkable  man  you  ever  met  ?  " 

"Aaron  Burr." 

"  But  you  never  could  have  met  Aaron  Burr,  if  you 
are  only  nineteen  years — " 

"  Now,  if  you  know  more  about  me  than  I  do,  what 
do  you  ask  me  for  ? " 

"  Well,  it  was  only  a  suggestion ;  nothing  more.  How 
did  you  happen  to  meet  Burr  ? " 

"Well,  I  happened  to  be  at  his  funeral  one  day;  and 
he  asked  me  to  make  less  noise,  and — " 

"  But,  good  heavens !  If  you  were  at  his  funeral,  lie 
must  have  been  dead ;  and,  if  he  was  dead,  how  could 
he  care  whether  you  made  a  noise  or  not  ? " 

"I  don't  know.  He  was  always  a  particular  kind  of 
a  man  that  way." 

"  Still,  I  do  n't  understand  it  at  aU.  You  say  he  spoke 
to  you,  and  that  he  was  dead  ? " 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  269 

"  I  did  n't  say  be  was  dead." 

"  But  was  n't  he  dead  V " 

"  Well,  some  said  he  was,  some  said  he  was  n't." 

"  What  do  you  think  ?  " 

"  Oh,  it  was  none  of  my  business.  It  was  n't  any  of 
my  funeral." 

"Did  you —  However,  we  can  never  get  this  matter 
straight.  Let  me  ask  about  something  else.  What  was 
the  date  of  your  birth  ? " 

"Monday,  October  31,  1693." 

"  What !  Impossible !  That  would  make  you  a  hun- 
dred and  eighty  years  old.  How  do  you  account  for 
that  ? " 

"  I  do  n't  account  for  it  at  all." 

"  But  you  said  at  first  you  were  only  nineteen,  and 
now  you  make  yourself  out  to  be  one  hundred  and 
eighty.     It  is  an  awful  discrepancy." 

"  Why,  have  you  noticed  that  ?  {Shaking  hands)  Many 
a  time  it  has  seemed  to  me  like  a  discrepancy ;  but 
some  how  I  could  n't  make  up  my  mind.  How  quick 
you  notice  a  thing ! " 

"  Thank  you  for  the  compliment,  as  far  as  it  goes. 
Had  you,  or  have  you,  any  brothers  or  sisters  ? " 

"  Eh  !     I — I — I  think  so — yes — but  I  do  n't  remember." 

"Well,  that  is  the  most  extraordinary  statement  I 
ever  heard." 

"  Why,  what  makes  you  tliink  that  ? " 

"  How  could  I  think  otherwise  ?  Why,  look  here ! 
Who  is  this  a  picture  of  on  the  wall  ?  Is  n't  that  a 
brother  of  yours  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes,  yes,  yes !  Now  you  remind  me  of  it,  that 
was  a  brother  of  mine.  That's  William,  Bill  we  called 
him.     Poor  old  Bill!" 

"Why,  is  he  dead,  then?" 

"  Ah,  well,  I  suppose  so.  We  never  could  telL  There 
was  a  great  mystery  about  it." 


270  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

"  That  is  sad,  very  sad.     He  disappeared,  then  ? " 

""Well,  yes,  in  a  sort  of  general  way.  AVe  buried 
him." 

"  Buried  him !  Buried  him  without  knowing  whether 
he  was  dead  or  not  ? " 

"  Oh,  no !     Not  that.     He  was  dead  enough." 

"  Well,  I  confess  that  I  can't  understand  this.  If  you 
buried  him,  and  you  knew  he  was  dead — " 

"  No,  no  !     We  only  thought  he  was."  ■ 

"  Oh,  I  see  !     He  came  to  life  again  ? " 

"I  bet  he  didn't." 

"Well,  I  never  heard  anything  like  this.  Somebody 
was  dead.  Somebody  was  buried.  Now,  where  was  the 
mystery  ?  " 

"Ah,  that's  just  it!  That's  it  exactly!  You  see  we 
were  twins — defunct  and  I ;  and  we  got  mixed  in  the 
bath-tub  when  we  were  only  two  weeks  old,  and  one 
of  us  was  drowned.  But  we  did  n't  know  which.  Some 
think  it  was  Bill;  some  think  it  was  me." 

"  Well,  that  is  remarkable.     AVhat  do  you  think  ? " 

"  Goodness  knows !  I  would  give  whole  worlds  to 
know.  This  solemn,  this  awful  mystery  has  cast  a 
gloom  over  my  whole  life.  But  I  will  tell  you  a  secret 
now,  which  I  never  have  revealed  to  any  creature  before. 
One  of  us  liad  a  peculiar  mark,  a  large  mole  on  the 
back  of  his  left  hand;  that  was  rnc.  That  child  was 
the  one  that  was  drovmed." 

"  Very  well,  then,  I  do  n't  see  that  there  is  any  mys- 
tery about  it,  after  all." 

"  You  do  n't  ?  Well,  /  do.  Anyway,  I  do  n't  see  how 
they  could  ever  have  been  such  a  blundering  lot  as  to 
go  and  bury  the  wrong  chihl.  But,  'sh !  Don't  men- 
tion it  where  the  family  can  licar  of  it.  Heaven  knows 
they  have  heart-breaking  troubles  enough  without  adding 
this." 

"Well,  I  believe  I  have  got  material  enougli  for  the 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  271 

present;  and  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you  for  the 
pains  you  have  taken.  But  I  was  a  good  deal  inter- 
ested in  that  account  of  Aaron  Burr's  funeral.  Would 
you  mind  telling  me  what  particular  circumstance  it 
was  that  made  you  think  Burr  was  such  a  remarkable 
man  ? " 

"  Oh,  it  was  a  mere  trifle !  Not  one  man  in  fifty 
would  have  noticed  it  at  all.  When  the  sermon  was 
over,  and  the  procession  all  ready  to  start  for  the 
cemetery,  and  the  body  all  arranged  nice  in  the  hearse, 
he  said  he  wanted  to  take  a  last  look  at  the  scenery ; 
and  so  he  got  wp,  and  rode  with  the,  driver." 

9.       PRINCE    HENRY    AND     FALSIAFF. 

Falstaff.  I  call  thee  coward  ?  I  '11  see  thee  hdiiged  ere 
I  call  thee  coward :  but  I  would  give  a  thousand  'pound 
I  could  run  as  fast  as  thou  canst.  You  are  straight 
enough  in  the  shoulders,  you  care  not  who  sees  your 
hdck.  Call  you  that  backing  your  friends  ?  A  j^^Q'ffue 
upon  such  backing !  give  me  them  that  will  face  me. — 
Give  me  a  cup  of  sacic :  I  am  a  rogue,  if  I  have  drunk 
to-day. 

F.  HenrTj.  0  villain!  tliy  lips  are  scarce  wiped  since 
thou  drank'st  last. 

Fal.  All's  one  for  that.  A  iMgue  on  all  cowards, 
still  say  I ! 

P.  Henry.     What's  the  matter? 

Fed.  What's  the  matter?  here  be  four  of  us  have 
taken  a  tliousaud  pound  tliis  morning. 

P.  Henry.     Where  is  it,  Jack  ?   where  is  it  ? 

Fal.  Where  Is  it  ?  taken  from  us,  it  is ;  a  hundred 
upon  poor  four  of  us. 

F.  Henry.     AVhat !  a  hvundred,  nuin  ? 

Fal.  I  am  a  rogue,  if  I  were  not  at  half-sword  with 
a  dozen  of  them,  for  two  hours  togetlier.  I  liave  'scaped 
by    miracle.     I    am    eight     times     thrust     tliroudr    the 


272  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

doublet ;  four,  through  the  hose ;  my  buckler  cut  through 
and  through ;  my  sword  hacked  like  a  hand-saw.  I 
never  dealt  better  since  I  was  a  man ;  all  would  not 
do.  A  plague  of  all  cowards !  Let  them  speak ;  if  they 
speak  more  or  less  than  truth,  they  are  villains  and  the 
sons  of  darkness. 

P.  Henry.     Spfeak,  sirs ;  how  was  it  ? 

Gadshill.     We  four,  set  upon  some  dozen — 

Fal.     Sixteen,  at  least,  my  lord. 

Gad.     And  bound  them. 

Feto.     No,  no,  they  were  not  bound. 

Fal.  You  rogue,  they  were  bound,  every  man  of 
them ,  or  I  am  a  Jew,  else — an  Ebrew  Jew. 

Gad.  As  we  Avere  sharing,  some  six  or  seven  fresh 
men  set  upon  us — 

Fal.  And  unbound  the  rest ;  and  then  come  in  the 
other. 

P.  Henry.     What !  fought  ye  with  them  all  ? 

Fal.  All  ?  I  know  not  what  ye  call  all ;  but  if  I 
fought  not  with  fifty  of  them,  I  am  a  bunch  of  radish : 
if  there  were  not  two  or  three  and  fifty  upon  poor  old 
Jack,  then  I  am  no  two-legged  creature. 

Foins.  Pray  heaven,  you  have  not  murdered  some  of 
them. 

Fal.  Nay,  that's  past  praying  for;  for  I  have  pep- 
pered two  of  them ;  two  I  am  sure  1  have  paid ;  two 
rogues  in  buckram  suits.  I  tell  thee  Avhat,  Ilal,  if  I 
tell  thee  a  lie,  spit  in  my  face,  and  call  me  a  horse. 
Four  rogues  in  buckram  let  drive  at  me — 

F.  Henry.  What!  foitr?  Thou  saidst  but  two  even 
now. 

Fal.     Four,  Hal ;  I  told  thee  four. 

Foins.     Ay,  ay,  he  said  four. 

Fal.  These  four  came-  all  afront,  and  mainly  thrust 
at  me.  I  made  no  more  ado,  but  took  all  their  seven 
points  on  my  target  thus. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  273 

P.  Henry.  Seven !  why,  there  were  but  four,  even 
now. 

Fid.     In  buckram  ? 

P.  Henry.     Ay,  four  in  buckram  suits. 

Fed.  Seven,  by  these  hilts,  or  I  am  a  villain  else. 
Dost  thou  hear  me,  Hal  ? 

P.  Henry.     Ay,  and  mark  thee  too,  Jack. 

Fal.  Do  so,  for  it  is  worth  listening  to.  These  nine 
in  buckram  that  I  told  thee  of — 

P.  Henry.     So,  two  more  already. 

Fal.  Their  points  being  broken, — began  to  give  me 
ground ;  but  I  followed  me  close,  came  in  foot  and 
hand,  and  with  a  thought,  seven  of  the  eleven  I  paid. 

P.  Henry.  0  monstrous !  eleven  buckram  men  grown 
out  of  two  I 

Fal.  But,  as  ill  luck  would  have  it,  three  misbegot- 
ten knaves,  in  Kendal  green,  came  at  my  back,  and  let 
drive  at  me; — for  it  was  so  dark,  Hal,  that  thou  couldst 
not  see  thy  hand. 

P.  Henry.  These  lies  are  like  the  father  tliat  begets 
them ;  gross  as  a  mountain,  open,  palpable.  Why,  thou 
knotty-pated  fool;  thou  greasy  tallow-tub. 

Fal.  What,  art  thou  mad  .^  art  thou  mad  ?  is  not  the 
truth  the  truth? 

P.  Henry.  Why,  how  couldst  thou  know  these  men 
in  Kendal  green,  when  it  was  so  dark  thou  couldst  not 
see  thy  hand  ?  Come,  tell  us  your  reason ;  what  sayest 
thou  to  this  ?     Come,  your  reason,  Jack,  your  reason. 

Fed.  What,  upon  coinjmlsion  ?  No.  Were  I  at  the 
strappado,  or  all  the  racks  in  the  world,  I  would  not 
tell  you  on  comi^ulsion.  Give  you  a  reason  upon  com- 
pulsion !  If  reasons  were  as  plenty  as  hldckherries,  I 
would  give  no  man  a  reason  upon  coiu'pulsion. 

P.  Henry.     I  '11  be  no  longer,  guilty  of  this  sin.     This 
sanguine  coward,  this  bed-presser,  this  horse-back  breaker, 
this  huge  hill  of  flesh — 
18 


274  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Fed.  Away,  you  starveling,  you  eel-skin,  you  dried 
7ieaz!'s-tougue,  you  s/ocA^-fish !  0  for  breath  to  utter  what 
is  like  thee !  you  tailor's  yard,  you  sheath,  you  hoiv-csise, 
you  vile  standing  tuck — 

Shakespeare. 

Hints  about  Additional  Selections. 

Dialogues,  dialect  pieces,  and  humorous  selections  are 
useful  in  school  for  the  purpose  of  breaking  up  the 
tendency  to  stiffness,  formality,  and  monotony  in  read- 
ing. There  are  times  when  the  ripple  of  laughter  is 
music  in  the  school-room,  and  when  the  sunlight  of 
humor  is  needed  to  dispel  the  mists  of  a  gloomy  day. 
There  seems  to  be  no  good  reason  why  the  flashes  of 
wit  and  humor  that  delight  a  whole  nation  should  be 
altogether  shut  out  from  the  school-room,  because  they 
do  not  form  a  part  of  "  classic  literature."  Though  such 
humorous  and  dialect  selections  might  not  seem  appro- 
priate for  a  drill-book  like  this  volume,  the  wise  and 
cheerful  teacher  will  make  good  use  of  them,  taking 
care,  of  coui'se,  to  exclude  objectionable  selections. 
Teachers  will  do  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  taste 
of  boys  and  girls  from  fourteen  to  eighteen  years  of 
ac^e  is  not  so  critical  as  that  of  men  and  women  of 
middle  age. 

These  extracts  should  be  read  at  sigJit,  the  book  being 
passed  from  liand  to  hand,  and  one  book  serving  for 
the  whole  class. 

Many  excellent  selections  can  be  found  in  such  books 
as  Lowell's  "  Biglow  Papers,"  Dickens's  "  Pickwick  Pa- 
pers," Bret  Harte's  "  Poems,"  Saxe's  "  Poems,"  Hood's 
"  Poems,"  Mark  Twain's  books,  Monroe's  "  Humorous 
Eeadings,"  Garrett's  "Speaker's  Garland,"  Shoemaker's 
"Elocutionist's  Annual,"  and  many  other  books  of 
"  Selections." 


PART  III. 


PART   III. 

MISCELLANEOUS  SELECTIONS. 


SECTION  I. 
PROSE   SELECTIONS. 

1.     ELOCUTIOXARY  TEAININa 

1.  Elocutionary  traiuing  should  be  begun  in  early 
life,  because  then  the  vocal  organs  are  flexible.  It  is  a 
serious  defect  in  our  school  methods  of  instruction,  that 
the  expressive  faculties,  comprising  feeling,  affection, 
emotion,  passion,  imagination,  fancy,  association,  imita- 
tion, and  description,  are  called  so  little  into  action. 
Elocution,  when  properly  taught,  calls  into  active  exer- 
cise the  expressive  faculties,  and  tends  to  educate  the 
child  as  a  social  being. 

2.  In  most  ungraded  schools  in  the  country,  and  in 
many  city  schools,  an  hour  of  the  closing  afternoon  of 
each  week  may  be  usefully  devoted  to  declamation,  dia- 
logue, and  select  readings.  It  is  not  advisable  to  compel 
every  child  in  school  to  take  part  in  these  exercises,  for 
there  are  some  who  never  can  become  good  readers,  and 
others  who  are  so  awkward  and  diffident  that  it  is  cruel 
to  force  them  upon  the  school  stage  with  a  declamation. 

3.  Appropriate  selections  should  at  first  be  made  by 

(277) 


278  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION, 

the  teacher;  for  the  iiu cultivated  taste  of  pupils  will 
lead  them  to  choose  pieces  altogether  too  difficult,  or 
utterly  worthless  when  committed  to  memory.  Select 
at  times,  for  the  hoys,  short  prose  declamations,  which, 
when  learned,  remain  in  the  memory  as  models  of  pure 
prose  and  patriotic  feeling.  If  tliey  learn  a  poem,  let  , 
it  not  be  one  made  up  of  doggerel  rhymes,  or  of  pain- 
ful attempts  at  a  low  order  of  wit. 

4.  A  careful  selection  of  pieces  will  be  the  surest 
safeguard  against  the  ranting,  tearing,  overstrained,  the- 
atrical style  of  florid  oratory  which  so  painfully  mars 
many  school  exhibitions.  The  teacher  can  take  odd 
moments  at  the  intermission,  or  recess,  or  before  and 
after  school,  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  rehearsals,  aud 
giving  special  instructions. 

5.  Teachers  should  instruct  pupils  in  the  elements  of 
gesture.  Gestures  spring  naturally  from  the  close  sym- 
pathy of  mind  and  body.  A  look  of  the  63^6,  au 
expression  of  the  countenance,  a  movement  of  the  hand, 
often  convey  more  than  words  can  express.  The  prin- 
ciples of  gesture  may  be  easily  learned  from  any  one  of 
several  excellent  works  on  elocution. 

6.  The  reading  and  recitation  of  poetry  by  girls  is  an 
indispensable  part  of  the  education  of  woman,  as  one 
of  the  most  efficient  modes  of  discipline  for  the  taste 
and  imagination.  Many  of  the  most  exquisite  passages 
of  the  poets  can  never  be  fully  appreciated  until  repeated 
by  tlie  voice  of  woman. 

7.  It  requires  no  close  observer  to  perceive  the  effects 
of  poetry  on  the  youthful  mind.  Childhood  delights  in 
the  melody  of  verse,  and  is  pleased  with  its  flowing 
harmony  of  sound.  In  poetry  are  embodied  some  of 
the  most  beautiful  lessons  of  morality ;  and  they  are 
presented  in  a  manner  which  arrests  the  attention  and 
impresses  the  character.  What  teacher  has  not  seen  the 
dull  eye  kindle,  the  vacant  countenance  take  expression. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  279 

the  face  glow  witli  emotion,  and  the  whole  boy  become 
lost  in  the  sentiment  of  his  declamation  ? 

8.  Introduce  elocution  into  school  to  cultivate  a  taste 
for  reading,  to  exercise  and  strengthen  memory,  to 
awaken  feeling,  to  excite  imagination,  and  to  train  those 
wlio  are  to  enter  the  j)i'ofessions,  to  become  graceful 
and  pleasing  speakers.  Introduce  it  as  a  relief  from 
study,  a  pleasing  recreation,  and  a  source  of  intellectual 
enjoyment.  Introduce  it  as  a  part  of  the  sesthetic  edu- 
cation so  peculiarly  appropriate  for  woman.  Make  it 
as  a  part  of  the  education  of  man  as  an  expressive  being. 

2.     GOOD   EEADING. 

1.  There  is  Sne  accomplishment,  in  particular,  which  I 
would  earnestly  reconimhid  to  you.  Cultivate  assidu- 
ously the  ability  to  read  well.  I  stop  to  particularize 
this,  because  it  is  a  thing  so  very  much  neglected,  and 
because  it  is  such  an  elegant  and  charming  accbinplish- 
ment.  Where  one  person  is  really  interested  by  music, 
Uventy  are  pleased  by  good  reading.  Where  6ne  person 
is  capable  of  becoming  a  skillful  musician,  twhity  may 
become  good  readers.  Where  there  is  6ne  occasion  suit- 
able for  the  exercise  of  musical  talent,  there  are  twhity 
for  that  of  good  reading. 

2.  The  culture  of  the  voice  necessary  for  reading  well, 
gives  a  delightful  charm  to  the  same  voice  in  conversa- 
tion. Good  reading  is  the  natural  exponent  and  vehicle 
of  all  good  things.  It  seems  to  bring  dead  a.iA,thors  to 
life  again,  and  makes  us  sit  down  familiarly  with  the 
great  and  good  of  all  ages. 

3.  What  a  fascindtion  there  is  in  really  good  reading  ! 
What  a  ^w^wr  it  gives  one  !  In  the  hbsjnfal,  in  the 
chamber  of  the  Invalid,  in  the  nursery,  in  the  domestic 
and  in  the  shcial  circle,  among  chosen  friends  and  com- 
panions, how  it  enables  you  to  minister  to  the  amuse- 


280  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

ment,  the  chmfort,  tlie  pleasure  of  dear  ones  as  no  other 
art  or  accomplishment  can.  No  instrument  of  man's 
devising  can  reach  the  heart  as  does  that  most  wonder- 
ful instrument,  the  h'dman  voice. 

4.  If  you  would  double  the  value  of  all  your  other 
acquisitions,  if  you  would  add  immeasurably  to  your 
6wn  enjoyment  and  to  your  power  of  i)romoting  the 
enjoyment  of  others,  cultivate,  with  incessant  care,  this 
divine  gift.  No  music  below  the  skus  is  equal  to  that 
of  pure,  silvery  speech  from  the  lips  of  a  man  or  woman 
of  high  culture.  john  s.  hart. 

3.     THE   MUSIC   OF   THE   HUMAN  VOICE. 

1.  Willis,  in  his  essay  on  "  unwritten  music,"  has  placed 
the  appropriate  sound  of  the  female  voice  among  the 
most  beautiful  of  its  forms ;  and  there  is,  unquestiona- 
bly, a  fine  analogy  between  the  sound  of  the  running 
brook,  the  note  of  the  wood-bird,  tlie  voice  of  a  happy 
child,  the  low  breathing  of  a  flute,  and  the  clear,  soft 
tone  of  a  woman's  voice,  when  it  ntters  the  natural 
music  of  home — the  accents  of  gentleness  and  love. 

2.  To  a  well-tuned  ear,  there  is  a  rich,  deep  melody 
in  the  distinctive  bass  of  the  male  voice,  in  its  subdued 
tones.  But  the  key-note  of  poetry  seems  to  have  been 
lent  to  woman.  On  the  ear  of  infancy  and  cliildhood, 
lier  voice  was  meant  to  fall  as  a  winning  prelude  to  all 

,the   other   melodies   of    nature ;    the   human   nerves   are 
y  attuned,  accordingly,  to   the   breath   of  her   voice ;    and, 
through    life,    the    chords    of    the    heart    respond    most 
readily  to  her  touch. 

3.  Yet  how  often  is  this  result  impeded  by  the  pro- 
cesses of  artificial  culture ;  by  tlie  over-excitement  of 
mind  and  nerve,  attending  excessive  application ;  by  that 
nnwise  neglect  of  health  and  healthful  action,  which 
dims  the  eye  and  deadens  the  ear  to  beauty,  and  robs 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  281 

life  of  the  joyous  and  sympathetic  spirit  which  is  native 
to  cliildhood ;  and  which,  otherwise,  would  ever  be  gush- 
ing forth  in  notes  of  gladness  and  endearment,  the 
physical  not  less  than  the  moral  charm  of  human 
utterance .' 

4.  There  are  beautiful  exceptions,  undoubtedly,  to  this 
general  fact  of  ungainly  habit.  But  the  ground  of  just 
complaint  is,  that  there  is  no  provision  made  in  our 
systems  of  education  for  the  cultivation  of  one  of 
woman's  peculiar  endowments — an  attractive  voice.  Our 
girls  do  not  come  home  to  us,  after  their  period  of 
school  life,  qualified  to  read  with  effect  in  their  own 
language.  There  is  wanting  in  their  voices  tliat  adap- 
tation of  tone  to  feeling,  which  is  the  music  of  the 
heart  in  reading;  there  is  wanting  that  clear,  impressive 
style  which  belongs  to  the  utterance  of  cultivated  taste 
and  judgment,  and  which  enhances  every  sentiment  by 
appropriate  emphasis  and  pause ;  there  is  even  a  want 
of  that  distinct  articulation  which  alone  can  make  sound 
the  intelligible  medium  of  thought,      prof.  William  rcssell. 


4     THE  AET   OF   EEADING. 

1.  The  art  of  reading  well  is  an  accomplishment  that 
all  desire  to  possess,  many  tliink  they  have  already, 
and  that  a  few  set  about  to  acquire.  These,  believing 
their  jjower  is  altogether  in  their  genius,  are,  after  a 
few  lessons  from  an  elocutionist,  disappointed  at  not 
becoming  themselves  at  once  masters  of  the  art;  and 
witli  the  restless  vanity  of  their  belief,  abandon  the 
study  for  some  new  subject  of  trial  and  failure.  Such 
cases  of  iufii'mity  result  in  part  from  the  AAavering 
character  of  the  human  tribe ;  but  tliey  chiefly  arise 
from  defects  in  the  usual  course  of  instruction. 

2.  Go  to  some  of  our  colleges  and  universities,  and 
observe   how   the   art   of  speaking   is   not   taught   there. 


282  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

See  a  boy  of  but  fifteen  years,  with  no  want  of  youth- 
ful diffidence,  and  not  without  a  craving  desire  to 
learn,  sent  upon  a  stage,  pale  and  choking  with  appre- 
hension ;  being  forced  into  an  attempt  to  do  that, 
without  instruction,  which  he  came  purposely  to  learn ; 
and  furnishing  amusement  to  his  classmates,  by  a 
pardonable  awkwardness,  that  should  be  punished,  in 
the  person  of  his  pretending  but  neglectful  preceptor, 
with  little  less  than  scouroiuo-. 

3.  Then  visit  a  conservatorio  of  music ;  observe  there 
the  elementary  outset,  the  orderly  task,  the  masterly 
discipline,  the  unwearied  superintendence,  and  the  in- 
cessant toil  to  reach  the  utmost  accomplishment  in  the 
Singing-Voice  ;  and  afterwards  do  not  be  surprised  that 
the  pulpit,  the  senate,  the  bar,  and  the  chair  of  medical 
professorship,  are  filled  with  such  abominable  drawlers, 
mouthers,  mumblers,  clutterers,  squeakers,  chanters,  and 
mongers  in  monotony;  nor  that  the  Schools  of  Singing 
are  constantly  sending  abroad  those  great  instances  of 
vocal  wonder  who  triumph  along  the  crowded  resorts 
of  the  world ;  who  contribute  to  the  halls  of  fashion 
and  wealth  their  most  refined  source  of  gratification ; 
who  sometimes  quell  the  pride  of  rank  by  a  momentary 
sensation  of  envy ;  and  who  draw  forth  the  admiration 
and  receive  the  crowning  applause  of  the  prince  and  sage. 

4.  The  high  accomplishments  in  elocution  are  sup- 
posed to  be  universally  the  unacquired  gifts  of  genius, 
and  to  consist  of  powers  and  graces  beyond  the  reach 
of  art.  So  seem  the  plainest  services  of  arithmetic  to 
a  savage ;  and  so,  to  the  slave,  seem  all  the  ways  of 
music  wliich  modern  art  has  so  accurately  penned,  as 
to  time,  and  tune,  and  momentary  grace.  Ignorance 
knows  not  what  han  been  done ;  indolence  thinks  notliing 
can  be  done;  and  both  uniting,  borrow  from  the  abused 
eloquence  of  poetry  an  aphorism  to  justify  supineness 
of  inquiry.  dk.  rush. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  283 

5.     ON   LEARNING   BY   HEAET. 

1.  Till  he  has  fairly  tried  it,  I  suspect  a  reader  does 
not  know  how  much  he  would  gain  from  committing  to 
memory  passages  of  real  excellence ;  pi^ecisely  because 
he  does  not  know  how  much  he  overlooks  when  merely 
reading.  Learn  one  true  poem  by  heart,  and  see  if 
you  do  not  find  it  so.  Beauty  after  beauty  will  reveal 
itself,  in  chosen  plirase,  or  happy  music,  or  noble  sug- 
gestion, otherwise  undreamed  of.  It  is  like  looking  at 
one  of  Nature's  wonders  through  a  microscope. 

2.  Again :  how  much  in  such  a  poem  that  you  really 
did  feel  admirable  and  lovely  on  a  first  reading,  passes 
away,  if  you  do  not  give  it  a  further  aud  much  better 
reading ! — passes  away  utterly,  like  a  sweet  sound,  or 
an  image  on  the  lake,  which  the  first  breath  of  wind 
dispels.  If  you  could  only  fix  that  image,  as  the  pho- 
tographers do  theirs,  so  beautifully,  so  perfectly !  And 
you  can  do  so !  Learn  it  by  heart,  aud  it  is  yours  for 
ever ! 

3.  I  have  said,  a  true  poem ;  for  naturally  men  will 
choose  to  learn  poetry — from  the  beginning  of  time  they 
have  done  so.  To  immortal  verse  the  memory  gives  a 
willing,  a  joyous,  and  a  lasting  home.  Some  prose, 
however,  is  poetical,  is  jwetry,  and  altogether  worthy 
to  be  learned  by  heart ;  and  the  learning  is  not  so  very 
difficult.  It  is  not  difficult  or  toilsome  to  learn  that 
which  pleases  us;  and  the  labor,  once  given,  is  forgot- 
ten, while  the  result  remains. 

4.  Poems,  and  noble  extracts,  whether  of  verse  or  of 
prose,  once  so  reduced  into  possession  and  rendered 
truly  our  own,  may  be  to  iis  a  daily  pleasure; — better 
far  than  a  whole  library  ■?«iused.  They  may  come  to  us 
in  our  dull  moments,  to  refresh  us  as  with  spring  flowers ; 
in  our  selfish  musings,  to  win  us  by  pure  delight  from 
the   tyranny  of    foolish   castle-building,    self-gratulations, 


284  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

and  mean  anxieties.  They  may  be  with  us  in  the  work- 
shop, in  the  crowded  street,  by  the  fireside;  sometimes, 
perhaps,  on  pleasant  hill-sides,  or  by  sounding  shores ; — 
noble  friends  and  companions — our  own  I  never  intru- 
sive, ever  at  hand,  coming  at  our  call. 

5.  For  those,  in  particular,  whose  leisure  time  is  short, 
I  believe  there  could  not  be  a  better  expenditure  of 
time  than  deliberately  giving  an  occasional  hour — it 
requires  no  more — to  committing  to  memory  chosen 
passages  from  great  authors.  If  the  mind  were  thus 
daily  nourished  with  a  few  choice  words  of  the  best 
English  poets  and  writers  ;  if  the  habit  of  learning  by 
heart  were  to  become  so  general,  that,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  any  person  presuming  to  be  educated  might  be 
expected  to  be  equipped  with  a  few  good  pieces, — I  be- 
lieve that  it  would  lead,  much  more  than  the  mere 
sound  of  it  suggests,  to  the  diffusion  of  the  best  kind 
of  literature  and  to  tlie  right  appreciation  of  it ;  and 
that  men  would  not  long  rest  satisfied  with  knowing  a 
few  stock  pieces. 

6.  The  only  objection  I  can  conceive  to  what  I  have 
been  saying  is,  that  a  relish  for  higlier  literature  may 
be  said  to  be  the  result  of  cultivation,  and  to  belong 
only  to  the  few.  But  I  do  not  admit  that  even  the 
higher  literature  must  belong  only  to  the  few.  Poetry 
is,  in  the  main,  essentially  catholic — addressed  to  all 
men ;  and  though  some  poetry  requires  knowledge  and 
culture,  much,  and  that  the  noblest,  needs  only  natural 
feeling,  and  common  experience.  Such  poetry,  taken  in 
moderation,  followed  with  genuine  good-will,  shared  in 
common,  will  be  intelligible  and  delightful  to  most  men 
who  take  the  trouble  to  be  students  at  all,  and  ever 
more  and  more  so. 

7.  Terhaps,  also,  tliere  may  be  a  fragment  of  trulli  in 
what  Charles  Lamb  has  said — tliat  any  spouting  "witliers 
and  blows  upon  a  fine  passage ; "  that  there  is  no  enjo}'- 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  285 

ing  it  after  it  has  been  "  pawed  about  by  declamatory 
boys  and  men."  But  surely  tliere  is  a  reasonable  habit 
of  recitation  as  well  as  an  unreasonable  one ;  there  is 
no  need  of  declamatory  pavvinif.  To  abandon  all  recita- 
tion, is  to  give  up  a  custom  which  has  unquestionably 
given  delight  and  instruction  to  all  the  races  of  man- 
kind. If  our  faces  are  set  against  vain  display,  and  set 
towards  rational  enjoyment  of  one  another,  we  need  not 
fear  that  our  social  evenings  will  be  marred  by  an  oc- 
casional recitation.  And,  moreover,  it  is  not  for  recit- 
ing's  sake  that  I  chieHy  recommend  this  most  faithful 
form  of  reading — learning  by  heart. 

8.  I  come  back,  therefore,  to  this,  that  learning  by 
heart  is  a  good  thing,  and  that  it  is  neglected  among  us. 
Why  is  it  neglected  ?  Partly  because  of  our  indolence ; 
but  partly,  I  believe,  because  we  do  not  sufficiently  con- 
sider that  it  is  a  good  thing,  and  needs  to  be  taken  in 
hand.  We  need  to  be  reminded  of  it.  I  here  remind 
you.  Like  a  town-crier,  ringing  my  bell,  I  would  say 
to  you,  "  Oyez,  oyez !  Lost,  stolen,  or  strayed,  a  good 
ancient  practice — the  good  ancient  practice  of  learning 
by  heart.     Every  finder  shall  be  handsomely  rewarded." 

9.  If  you  ask,  "  What  shall  I  learn  ? "  the  answer  is, 
do  as  you  do  with  tunes — begin  with  what  you  sincerely 
like  best,  what  you  would  most  wish  to  remember,  what 
you  would  most  enjoy  saying  to  yourself  or  repeating 
to  another.  You  will  soon  find  the  list  inexhaustible. 
Then  "  keeping  up "  is  easy.  Every  one  has  spare  ten 
minutes :  one  of  the  problems  of  life  is  how  to  employ 
thera  usefully.  You  may  well  spend  some  in  looking 
after  and  securing  this  good  property  you  have  won. 

LUSHISUTOX. 


286  SCHOOL    ELOCUTIOX. 

6.     SCHOOL  LIBEAEIES. 

1.  The  influence  of  well-selected  books  in  a  school  is 
second  only  to  that  of  the  teacher;  and  in  many  in- 
stances the  information,  self-gleaned  by  the  pupils,  is 
the  most  valuable  part  of  a  common-school  education. 

2.  A  teacher  may  fail  in  the  discharge  of  duty;  but 
the  golden  grains  of  thought  gleaned  from  good  books 
will  spring  up  in  the  youthful  minds  and  yield  their 
fruit,  just  as  certainly  as  the  fertile  soil  of  our  beauti- 
ful valleys  rewards  the  toil  of  the  husbandman  with  a 
bountiful  harvest. 

3.  The  object  and  aim  of  the  public  school  should  be 
to  give  children  a  thirst  for  information,  a  taste  for 
reading;  to  make  them  alive  to  knowledge;  to  set  them 
out  on  the  path  of  self-education  through  life.  Why 
teach  them  to  read  at  all,  if  books  be  not  afterwards 
furnished  for  them  to  read  ? 

4  Not  many  years  ago,  in  one  of  the  obscure  towns 
of  Massachusetts,  there  lived  a  farmer's  boy  who  "  went 
to  a  common  school "  in  the  winter,  and  worked  on  the 
farm  in  summer.  The  books  of  a  little  town  library 
fell  into  his  hands ;  he  devoured  them,  and  hungered 
for  more.  He  grew  to  be  a  man,  and  was  acknowledged 
by  all  to  be  the  most  distinguished  American  educator 
of  his  time. 

5.  Every  public  school  in  our  country  is  a  debtor  to 
Horace  Mann.  He  tlnis  graphically  sums  up  the  advan- 
tage of  a  school  library :  "  Now  no  one  thing  will 
contribute  more  to  intelligent  reading  in  our  schools 
than  a  well-selected  library ;  and,  through  intelligence, 
the  library  will  also  contribute  to  rhetorical  ease,  grace, 
and  expressiveness.  Wake  uj)  a  child  to  a  consciousness 
of  power  and  beauty,  and  you  might  as  easily  confine 
Hercules  to  a  distaff,  or  bind  Apollo  to  a  tread-mill,  as 
to   confine   his   spirit   within   the    mechanical   round  of  a 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  287 

school-room  where  such  mechanism  still  exists.  Let  a 
child  read  and  understand  such  stories  as  the  friendship 
of  Damon  and  Pythias,  the  integrity  of  Aristides,  the 
fidelity  of  Eegulus,  the  purity  of  Washington,  the  invinci- 
ble perseverance  of  Franklin,  and  he  will  think  differently 
and  act  differently  all  the  days  of  his  remaining  life. 

6.  "  Let  hoys  or  girls  of  sixteen  years  of  age  read  an 
intelligible  and  popular  treatise  on  astronomy  and  geol- 
ogy, and  from  that  day  new  heavens  will  bend  over  their 
heads,  and  a  new  earth  will  spread  out  beneath  their  feet. 
A  mind  accustomed  to  go  rejoicing  over  the  splendid 
regions  of  the  material  universe,  or  to  luxuriate  in  the 
richer  worlds  of  thought,  can  never  afterwards  read  like 
a  wooden  machine — a  thing  of  cranks  and  pipes — to  say 
nothing  of  the  pleasures  and  the  utility  it  will  realize." 


7.     POEMS. 

1.  Now  I  tell  you  a  poem  must  be  kept  and  used, 
like  a  meerschaum  or  a  violin.  A  poem  is  just  as 
porous  as  the  meerschaum — the  more  porous  it  is,  the 
better.  I  mean  to  say  that  a  genuine  poem  is  capable 
of  absorbing  an  indefinite  amount  of  the  essence  of  our 
own  humanity — its  tenderness,  its  heroism,  its  regrets, 
its  aspirations — so  as  to  be  gradually  stained  through 
with  a  divine  secondary  color  derived  from  ourselves. 
So,  you  see,  it  must  take  time  to  bring  the  sentiment 
of  a  poem  into  harmony  with  our  nature  by  staining 
ourselves  through  every  thought  and  image  our  being 
can  penetrate. 

2.  Then,  again,  as  to  the  mere  music  of  a  new  poem  ; 
why,  who  can  expect  anything  more  from  that  than 
from  the  music  of  a  violin  fresh  from  the  maker's 
hands  ?  Now  you  know  very  well  that  there  are  no 
less  than  fifty-eight  different  pieces  in  a  violin.     These 


288  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

pieces  are  strangers  to  each  other,  and  it  takes  a  cen- 
tury, more  or  less,  to  make  them  thoroughly  ae(|uainted. 
At  last  they  learn  to  vibrate  in  harmony,  and  the  in- 
strument becomes  an  organic  whole,  as  it  were  a  great 
seed  capsule,  which  had  grown  from  a  garden-bed  in 
Cremona,  or  elsewhere.  Besides,  the  wood  is  juicy  and 
full  of  sap  for  fifty  years  or  so,  but  at  the  end  of  hfty  ' 
or  a  hundred  more  gets  tolerably  dry  and  comparatively 
resonant. 

3.  Don't  you  see  that  all  this  is  just  as  true  of  a 
poem  ?  Counting  each  word  as  a  piece,  there  are  more 
pieces  in  an  average  copy  of  verses  than  in  a  violin. 
The  poet  has  forced  all  these  words  together,  and  fast- 
ened them,  and  they  do  n't  understand  it  at  first.  But 
let  the  poem  be  repeated  aloud,  anil  murmured  over  in 
the  mind's  mufiled  whisper  often  enough,  and  at  length 
the  parts  become  knit  together  in  such  absolute  soli- 
darity that  you  couhl  not  change  a  syllable  without  the 
M-hole  world's  crying  out  against  you  for  meddling  with 
the  harmonious  I'abric.  holmes. 


8.     SCPtOOGE  AXD   IMARLEY. 

1.  Marley  was  dead,  to  begin  witli.  There  is  no  doubt 
whatever  about  that.  The  register  of  his  burial  was 
signed  by  the  clergyman,  the  clerk,  the  undertaker,  and 
the  chief  mourner.  Scrooge  signed  it.  And  Scrooge's 
name  was  good  upon  'Cliange,  for  anything  he  chose  to 
put  his  hand  to.  Old  Mai'ley  was  as  dead  as  a  door- 
nail. 

2.  INIind !  I  do  n't  mean  to  say  that  I  know,  of  my 
own  knowledge,  what  there  is  particularly  dead  about 
a  door-nail.  I  might  have  lieen  inclined  myself,  to 
regard  a  coffin-nail  as  the  deadest  piece  of  ironmongery 
in    tlie    ti'ade.     But   the    wisdom  of  our   ancestors  is  in 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  289 

the  simile;  and  my  uuliallowed  hands  shall  not  disturb 
it,  or  the  country 's  done  for.  You  will  therefore  per- 
mit me  to  repeat,  emphatically,  that  Marley  was  as  dead 
as  a  door-nail. 

3.  Scrooge  knew  he  was  dead  ?  Of  course  he  did. 
How  could  it  be  other\yise  ?  Scrooge  and  he  were 
partners  for  I  don't  know  how  many  years.  Scrooge 
was  his  sole  executor,  his  sole  administrator,  his  sole 
assign,  his  sole  residuary  legatee,  his  sole  friend,  and 
sole  mourner.  And  even  Scrooge  was  not  so  dread- 
fully cut  up  by  the  sad  event,  but  that  he  was  an  ex- 
cellent man  of  business  on  the  very  day  of  the  funeral, 
and  solemnized  it  with  an  undoubted   bargain. 

4.  Scrooge  never  painted  out  old  Marley's  name. 
There  it  stood,  years  afterwards,  above  the  warehouse 
door :  Scrooge  and  Marley.  The  firm  was  known  as 
Scrooge  and  Marley.  Sometimes  people  new  to  the 
business  called  Scrooge,  Scrooge,  and  sometimes  Marley, 
but  he  answered  to  both  names.  It  was  all  the  same 
to  him. 

5.  Oh  !  but  he  was  a  tight-fisted  hand  at  the  grind- 
stone, Scrooge  !  A  squeezing,  wrenching,  gi'asping,  scrap- 
ing, clutching,  covetous  old  sinner !  Hard  and  sharp 
as  flint  from  which  no  steel  had  ever  struck  out  gen- 
erous fire ;  secret,  and  self-contained,  and  solitary  as  an 
oyster.  The  cold  within  him  froze  his  old  features, 
nipped  his  pointed  nose,  shriveled  liis  cheek,  stiffened 
his  gait ;  made  his  eyes  red,  his  thin  lips  blue ;  and 
spoke  out  shrewdly  in  his  grating  voice.  A  frosty  rime 
was  on  his  head,  and  on  his  eyebrows,  and  his  wiry 
chin.  He  carried  his  own  low  temperature  always 
about  with  him ;  he  iced  his  office  in  the  dog-days ;  and 
didn't  thaw  it  one  degree  at  Christmas. 

6.  External  heat  and  cold  had  little  influence  on 
Scrooge.  No  warmth  could  warm,  no  wintry  weather 
chill  him.     No  wind  that  blew  was  bitterer  than  he,  no 


290  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

falling  snow  was  more  intent  upon  its  purpose,  no 
pelting  rain  less  open  to  entreaty.  Foul  weather  did  n't 
know  where  to  have  him.  The  heaviest  rain,  and  snow, 
and  hail,  and  sleet,  could  boast  of  the  advantage  over 
him  in  only  one  respect.  They  often  "  came  down 
handsomely,"  and  Scrooge  never  did. 

7.  Nobody  ever  stopped  him  in  the  street  to  say, 
with  gladsome  looks,  "  My  dear  Scrooge,  how  are  you  ? 
When  will  you  come  to  see  me  ? "  No  beggars  implored 
him  to  bestow  a  trifle,  no  children  asked  him  what  it 
was  o'clock,  no  man  or  woman  ever  once  in  all  his  life 
inquired  the  way  to  such  and  such  a  place,  of  Scrooge. 
Even  the  blind  men's  dogs  appeared  to  know  him ;  and 
when  they  saw  him  coming  on,  would  tug  their  owners 
into  doorways  and  up  courts ;  and  then  would  wag 
their  tails  as  though  they  said,  "No  eye  at  all  is  better 
than  an  evil  eye,  dark  master ! " 

8.  But  what  did  Scrooge  care !  It  was  the  very 
thing  he  liked.  To  edge  his  way  along  the  crowded 
paths  of  life,  warning  all  human  sympathy  to  keep  its 
distance,  was  what  the  knowing  ones  called  "  nuts  "  to 
Scrooge. 

9.  Once  upon  a  time — of  all  the  good  days  in  the 
year,  on  Christmas  eve — old  Scrooge  sat  busy  in  his 
counting-house.  It  was  cold,  bleak,  biting  weather : 
foggy  withal ;  and  he  could  hear  the  people  in  the 
court  outside  go  wheezing  up  and  down,  beating  their 
hands  upon  their  breasts,  and  stamping  their  feet  upon 
the  pavement  stones  to  warm  them.  The  city  clocks 
had  only  just  gone  three,  but  it  was  quite  dark  already — 
it  had  not  been  light  all  day — and  candles  were  flaring 
in  the  windows  of  the  neighboring  oliices,  like  ruddy 
smears  upon  the  palpable  brown  air.  The  fog  came 
pouring  in  at  every  chink  and  key-hole,  and  was  so 
dense  without,  that  although  the  court  was  of  the  nar- 
rowest,  the   houses   opposite   were   mere   phantoms.     To 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  291 

see  the  dingy  cloud  come  drooping  down,  obscuring 
everything,  one  might  have  thought  that  Nature  lived 
hard  by,  and  was  brewing  on  a  large  scale. 

10.  The  door  of  Scrooge's  counting-house  was  open, 
that  he  might  keep  his  eye  upon  his  clerk,  who  in  a 
dismal  little  cell  beyond,  a  sort  of  tank,  was  copying 
letters.  Scrooge  had  a  very  small  fire,  but  the  clerk's 
fire  was  so  very  much  smaller  that  it  looked  like  one 
coal.  But  he  could  not  replenish  it,  for  Scrooge  kept 
the  coal-box  in  his  own  room ;  and  so  surely  as  the 
clerk  came  in  with  the  shovel,  the  master  predicted  that 
it  would  be  necessary  for  them  to  part.  Wherefore,  the 
clerk  put  on  his  white  comforter,  and  tried  to  warm 
himself  at  the  candle ;  in  which  effort,  not  being  a  man 
of  a  strong  imagination,  he  failed. 

11.  "A  merry  Christmas,  uncle!  God  save  you!" 
cried  a  cheerful  voice.  It  was  the  voice  of  Scrooge's 
nephew,  who  came  upon  him  so  quickly  that  this  was 
the  first  intimation  Scrooge  had  of  his  approach. 

"  Bah  ! "  said  Scrooge  ;  "  humbug  !  " 
"  Christmas  a  humbug,  uncle !     You  do  n't  mean  that, 
I  am  sure  ?  " 

12.  "  I  do.  Out  upon  merry  Christmas !  What  's 
Christmas  time  to  you  but  a  time  for  paying  bills 
without  money ;  a  time  for  finding  yourself  a  year 
older,  and  not  an  hour  richer ;  a  time  for  balancing 
your  books  and  having  every  item  in  'em  through  a 
round  dozen  of  months  presented  dead  against  you  ? 
If  I  had  ray  will,  every  idiot  who  goes  about  with 
'  Merry  Christmas '  on  his  lips  should  be  boiled  with  his 
own  pudding,  and  buried  with  a  stake  of  holly  through 
his  heart.     He  should !  " 

"  Uncle  ! " 

13.  "  Nephew,  keep  Christmas  in  your  own  way,  and 
let  me  keep  it  in  mine." 

"  Keep  it !     But  you  do  n't  keep  it." 


292  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

"  Let  rae  leave  it  alone,  then.  Much  good  may  it  do 
you  !     ]\Iuch  good  it  has  ever  done  you !  " 

14  "  There  are  many  things  from  which  I  might 
have  derived  good,  by  which  I  have  not  profited,  I  dare 
say,  Christmas  among  the  rest.  But  I  am  sure  I  have 
always  thought  of  Christmas  time,  when  it  has  come 
round — apart  from  the  veneration  due  to  its  sacred 
origin,  if  anything  belonging  to  it  can  be  apart  from 
that — as  a  good  time ;  a  kind,  forgiving,  charitable, 
pleasant  time;  the  only  time  I  know  of,  in  the  long 
calendar  of  the  year,  when  men  and  women  seem  by 
one  consent  to  open  their  shut-up  hearts  freely,  and  to 
think  of  people  below  them  as  if  they  really  were  fel- 
low-travelers to  the  grave,  and  not  another  race  of 
creatures  bound  on  other  journeys.  And  therefore, 
uncle,  though  it  has  never  put  a  scrap  of  gold  or  silver 
in  my  pocket,  I  believe  that  it  has  done  me  good,  and 
will  do  me  good ;  and  I  say,  God  bless  it ! " 

The  clerk  in  the  tank  involuntarily  applauded. 

15.  "  Let  rae  hear  another  sound  from  you"  said 
Scrooge,  "and  you  11  keep  your  Christmas  by  losing 
your  situation  !  You  're  quite  a  powerful  speaker,  sir," 
he  added,  turning  to  his  nephew.  "  I  wonder  you  do  n't 
go  into  Parliament." 

"  Do  n't  be  angry,  uncle.  Come !  Dine  with  us  to- 
morrow." 

16.  Scrooge  said  that  he  would  see  him — yes,  indeed 
he  did.  He  went  the  whole  length  of  the  expression, 
and  said  that  he  would  see  him  in  that  extremity  first. 

"But  why?"  cried  Scrooge's  nephew.     "  AVhy  ?  " 
"  Why  did  you  get  married  ?  " 
"  Because  I  fell  in  love." 

17.  "Because  you  fell  in  love!"  growled  Scrooge,  as 
if  that  were  tlie  only  one  thing  in  the  world  more  rid- 
iculous than  a  merry  Christmas.     "Good-afternoon!" 

"  Nay,  uncle,  but   you   never   came   to  see  me   before 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  293 

that  happened.  Why  give  it  as  a  reason  for  not  coming 
now  ? " 

"  Good-afternoon ! " 

"  I  want  nothing  from  you ;  I  ask  nothing  of  you ; 
why  caimot  we  be  friends  ? " 

"  Good-afternoon  ! " 

18.  "I  am  sorry,  with  all  my  heart,  to  find  you  so 
resolute.  We  have  never  had  any  quarrel  to  which  I 
have  been  a  party.  But  I  have  made  the  trial  in  homage 
to  Christmas,  and  I  '11  keep  my  Christmas  humor  to  the 
last.     So  a  merry  Christmas,  uncle  !  " 

"  Good-afternoon ! " 

"  And  a  happy  New  Year  ! " 

"  Good-afternoon  !  "  Dickens's  "  Chnsfmas Carol." 


9.     DEFENSE   OF   POETEY. 

1.  We  believe  that  poetry,  far  from  'injuring  society, 
is  one  of  the  great  instruments  of  its  refinement  and 
exaltation.  It  lifts  the  mind  ahove  ordinary  life,  gives 
it  a  respite  from  depressing  cares,  and  awakens  the  con- 
sciousness of  its  affinity  with  what  is  pure  and  nbhle. 
In  its  legitimate  and  highest  efforts,  it  has  the  same 
tendency  and  aim  with  Christianity;  that  is,  to  spir- 
itualize our  nature. 

2.  True,  poetry  has  been  made  the  iustrument  of  vice, 
the  pander  of  bad  passions ;  Init  when  genius  thus 
stoops,  it  dims  its  fires,  and  parts  with  much  of  its 
pbwer ;  and  even  when  Poetry  is  enslaved  to  licentious- 
ness and  mislmthropy,  she  can  not  wholly  forget  her 
tr'^e  voclition.  Strains  of  p-{ire  feeling,  touches  of  tender- 
ness, images  of  irniocent  hdppAness,  sympathies  with  what 
is  gdod  in  our  nature,  bursts  of  scorn  or  indignation 
at  the  hollowness  of  the  world,  passages  true  to  our 
moral    nature,   often    escape   in   an   imvioral  lobrk,   and 


294  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

show  US   how  hard   it   is   for  a  gifted  spiiit  to  divorce 
itself  wholly  from  what  is  good. 

3.  Poetry  has  a  natural  alliance  with  our  best  affec- 
tions. It  delights  in  the  beauty  and  sublimity  of  butward 
nature  aud  of  the  soul.  It  indeed  portrays  with  terrible 
energy  the  excesses  of  the  j^f^ssions,  but  they  are  passions 
which  show  a  mighty  nature,  whicli  are  full  of  j^bwer, 
which  command  da-c,  and  excite  a  deep  though  shudder- 
ing spnjKifhi/. 

4.  Its  great  tendencij  and  pfirpose  is  to  carry  the  mind 
heyond  and  ahbve  the  beaten,  dusty,  wdary  walks  of  brdi- 
nary  life ;  to  lift  it  into  a  p)UTcr  Element,  and  to  breathe 
into  it  more  profound  and  generous  embtion.  It  reveals 
to  us  the  Idveliness  of  nature,  brings  back  the  freshness 
of  youthful  feeling,  revives  the  relish  of  simple  plktsures, 
keeps  unquenched  the  enthusiasm  which  warmed  the 
spring-time  of  our  being,  refines  youthful  Ibve,  strength- 
ens our  interest  in  human  nature  by  vivid  delineations 
of  its  tenderest  and  loftiest  feelings,  spreads  our  symyia- 
thies  over  all  classes  of  society,  knits  us  by  new  ties  with 
universal  being,  and,  through  the  brightness  of  its  pro- 
phetic visions,  helps  fctith  to  lay  hold  on  the  future  Pifc. 

5.  We  are  aware  that  it  is  objected  to  poetry  that  it 
gives  lurdng  vieics  and  excites  false  expectations  of  life, 
peoples  the  mind  with  shadows  and  illusions,  and  builds 
up  irnagindtion  on  the  ruins  of  v-isdom.  Tliat  there  is 
a  wisdom  against  whicli  poetry  wars — the  wisdom  of  tlie 
senses,  which  makes  phydccd  comfort  and  gratification 
the  supreme  good,  and  %vealth  the  chief  {ntcrest  of  life — 
we  do  not  deny;  nor  do  we  deem  it  the  least  service 
which  poetry  renders  to  mankind,  that  it  redeems  them 
from  the  thralldom  of  this  earth-born  prudence. 

6.  But,  passing  over  this  topic,  we  would  observe  that 
the  complaint  against  p6etry,  as  abounding  in  ilhision 
and  decep)tion,  is,  in  the  main,  grbundless.  In  many 
poems  there  is  more  of  trilth  than  in  many  histories  and 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  295 

philosopliic  tJihries.  The  fictions  of  genius  are  often  the 
vehicles  of  the  sublimcst  verities,  and  its  Jidshcs  often 
open  new  regions  of  thought,  and  throw  neiv  light  on 
the  mysteries  of  our  being.  In  poetrg,  when  the  letter  is 
falsehood,  the  sp^r^^  is  often  jprofoundcst  vnsclom. 

7.  And  if  truth  thus  dwells  in  the  boldest  fictions  of 
the  poet,  much  more  may  it  be  expected  in  his  delinea- 
tions of  life ;  for  the  'present  life,  which  is  the  first  stage 
of  the  immortal  mind,  dbdunds  in  the  materials  of  poetry, 
and  it  is  the  high  office  of  the  bard  to  detect  this  divine 
element  among  the  grosser  labors  and  pleasures  of  our 
earthly  being.  The  present  life  is  not  wliolly  prosaic, 
precise,  tame,  and  finite.  To  the  gifted  eye  it  abounds 
in  the  poetic. 

8.  The  afflctions,  which  spread  beyond  ourselves  and 
stretch  far  into  futurity  ;  the  workings  of  mighty  p)dssions, 
which  seem  to  arm  the  soul  with  an  almost  superhuman 
energy ;  the  innocent  and  irrepressible  joy  of  infancy; 
the  bloom,  and  buoyancy,  and  dazzling  hopes  of  youth; 
the  throbbings  of  the  heart,  when  it  first  wakes  to  love, 
and  dreams  of  a  happiness  too  vast  for  earth;  woman, 
with  her  beauty,  and  grace,  and  gentleness,  and  fullness 
of  fueling,  and  depth  of  affdction,  and  blushes  of  purity, 
and  the  tones  and  looks  which  only  a  mother's  heart  can 
inspire — tliJise  are  dll  poetical. 

9.  It  is  not  true  that  the  poet  paints  a  life  which 
does  not  exist.  He  only  extracts  and  concentrates,  as  it 
wdre,  life's  ethereal  essence,  arrdsts  and  condenses  its 
volatile  fragrance,  brings  together  its  scattered  beauties, 
and  prolongs  its  more  refined  but  evanescent  joys.  And 
in  this  he  does  well;  for  it  is  good  to  feel  that  life  is 
not  wholly  usurped  by  cares  for  sidjsistence  and  physical 
gratifications,  but  admits,  in  measures  which  may  be 
indefinitely  enlarged,  sentiments  and  delights  worthy  of 
a  higher  being.  channucq. 


296  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

10.     FALSTAFF. 

[TJiis  extract  affords  an  example  of  "humorous  style,"  with  prevail- 
ing  circumflex  inflections. '\ 

1.  There  is  soinetliing  cordial  in  a  fat  man.  Every- 
body likes  him,  and  he  likes  everybody.  Food  does  a  fat 
man  good;  it  clings  to  him;  it  fructifies  upon  him;  he 
swells  nobly  mit,  and  fills  a  generous  space  in  life.  A 
fat  man,  therefore,  almost  in  virtue  of  being  a  fat  man, 
is,  'per  sS,  a  popular  man ;  and  he  commonly  deserves  his 
popularity. 

2.  A  fat  man  feels  his  position  solid  in  the  world ; 
he  knows  that  his  being  is  cbgnizahle ;  lie  knows  that 
he  has  a  mdrJced  p>ldce  in  the  universe,  and  that  he  need 
take  no  extraordinary  pains  to  advertise  mankind  that 
he  is  among  them;  lie  knows  that  he  is  in  no  danger 
of  being  overlooked. 

3.  A  fat  man  is  the  nearest  to  that  most  perfect  of 
figures,  a  mathcmdtical  sphere ;  a  tlan  man,  to  that  most 
limited  of  conceivable  dimensions,  a  simple  line.  A  fat 
man  is  a  being  of  harnuhiious  volume,  and  holds  relations 
to  the  material  universe  in  every  direction  ;  a  thhi  man 
has  nothing  but  length ;  a  thin  man,  in  fact,  is  but  the 
continuation  of  a  2'>oint. 

4.  Well  then  might  Falstaff  e.xult  in  his  size;  Avell 
might  he  mock  at  the  p)rince,  and  his  other  lean  contem- 
poraries;  and,  accordingly,  when  he  would  address  the 
prince  in  terms  the  most  degrdding,  he  heaps  epithet 
upon  epithet,  each  expressive  of  the  utmost  leanness. 
"  Au'dy,  you  starveling"  he  exclaims ;  "  you  eel-shin ;  you 
dried  ?iea^'s- tongue;  you  stdek-^^h..  O  for  breath  to  utter 
what  is  like  thee  ! " 

5.  Falstaff  was  an  epicure,  but  no  gliXtton.  He  was 
not  a  great  eater,  for  his  bill  contained  a  halfpenny- 
worth of  brlad  to  an  intolerable  quantit}''  of  sdck.  And 
although  FalstalT  was  a  large  driah:r,  he  was  no  inebriate. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  297 

And  here  we  conceive  a  consummate  art  in  Shakespeare, 
who  sustains  Falstaff  throughout  in  our  intellectital 
respect.     .     .     . 

6.  As  to  lies,  they  were  in  the  way  of  his  vocation. 
The  highest  stretch  of  imagination  could  not  even  sUs- 
pcct  him  of  veracity  ;  and  if  he  had  any  cMpes,  they  were 
strongly  in  love  with  deception.  His  lies,  too,  were  the 
lies  of  a  professed  and  known  wit ;  they  'were  designed 
only  for  ludicrous  effect,  and  generally  were  little  more 
than  comic  exaggerdtions.  In  the  events  at  Gad's  hill, 
and  those  that  immediately  follow  them,  there  is  an 
epitome  of  the  whole  chdracter  of  Falstaff;  but  there  is, 
at  the  same  time,  an  evident  design  on  the  part  of  the 
poet,  to  bring  out  his  peculiarities  with  grotesque  extrav- 
agance, and  to  produce  the  broadest  and  the  most  comic 
result. 

7.  Falstaff  has  both  ivit  and  humor ;  but  more  of  vM, 
I  think,  than  humor.  Between  wit  and  humor  there  is 
an  evident  distinction,  but  to  submit  the  distinction  to 
minute  criticism  would  require  more  time  than  we  can 
spare ;  and,  after  all,  it  is  more  easy  to  Jecl  than  to 
explain  it.  WU  im\)\iefi  thdiight ;  humor,  sensibilitg.  Wit 
deals  with  ideas;  humor,  with  actions  and  with  mdn- 
ners.  Wit  may  be  a  thing  of  pure  imagindtion ;  humor 
involves  sentiment  and  chdracter.  Wit  is  an  essence; 
humor,  an  incarnation. 

8.  Wit  and  humor,  however,  have  some  qualities  in 
common.  Both  develop  unexpected  analogies;  both  in- 
clude the  principles  of  cdntrast  and  assimildtion ;  both 
detect  inward  resemhla'rices  anddst  external  differences, 
and  the  result  of  both  is  pleasurable  surprise ;  the  sur- 
]jrise  from  wit  excites  admiration,  the  surprise  from 
humor  stimulates  merriment,  and  produces  laughter. 

9.  Falstaff's  wit  is  rich  as  his  imagination ;  as  prolific 
as  it  is  felicitous.  It  is  pungent,  copious,  brilliant  in 
expression,  and  decisive  in  effect.     It  never  falls  short  of 


298  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

its  aim,  and  never  misses  it.     And  this  rare  wit  is  wliollj 

devoted    to    the    ludicrous.  Henky  Giles. 


11.     WEALTH. 

1.  As  soon,  as  a  stranger  is  introduced  into  any  com- 
pany, one  of  the  first  questions  which  all  wish  to  have 
answered,  is,  How  does  that  man  get  his  living  ?  And 
with  reason.  He  is  no  whole  man  until  he  knows  how 
to  earn  a  blameless  livelihood.  Society  is  barbarous, 
until  every  industrious  man  can  get  his  living  without 
dishonest  customs. 

2.  Every  man  is  a  consumer,  and  ought  to  be  a  pro- 
ducer. He  fails  to  make  his  place  good  in  the  world, 
unless  he  not  only  pays  his  debt,  but  also  adds  some- 
thing to  the  common  wealth.  Kor  can  he  do  justice 
to  his  genius,  without  making  some  larger  demand  on 
the  world  than  a  bare  subsistence.  He  is  by  constitu- 
tion expensive,  and  needs  to  be  rich. 

3.  Wealth  has  its  source  in  applications  of  the  mind 
to  nature,  from  the  rudest  strokes  of  spade  and  ax, 
up  to  the  last  secrets  of  art.  Intimate  ties  subsist  be- 
tween thought  and  all  production  ;  because  a  better  or- 
der is  equivalent  to  vast  amounts  of  ])rute  labor.  The 
forces  and  the  resistances  are  Nature's,  but  the  mind 
acts  in  bringing  things  from  \^'here  they  abound  to  where 
they  are  wanted ;  in  wise  combining ;  in  directing  the 
practice  of  the  useful  arts,  and  in  the  creation  of  finer 
values,  by  fine  art,  by  eloquence,  by  song,  or  the  repro- 
ductions of  memory. 

4.  Wealth  is  in  applications  of  mind  to  nature;  and 
the  art  of  getting  rich  consists  not  in  industry,  much 
less  in  saving,  but  in  a  better  order,  in  timeliness,  in 
being  at  the  right  spot.  One  man  has  stronger  arms, 
or  longer  legs ;    another  sees  by  the  course  of  streams, 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  299 

and  growth  of  markets,  where  land  will  be  wanted, 
makes  a  clearing  to  the  river,  goes  to  sleep,  and  wakes 
up  rich.  Steam  is  no  stronger  now,  than  it  was  a  hun- 
dred years  ago;  but  is  put  to  better  use.  A  clever 
fellow  was  acquainted  with  the  expansive  force  of  steam ; 
he  also  saw  the  wealth  of  wheat  and  grass  rotting  in 
Michigan.  Then  he  cunningly  screws  on  the  steam-pipe 
to  the  wlieat  crop.  Puff  now,  0  Steam !  The  steam 
puffs  and  expands  as  before,  but  this  time  it  is  dragging 
all  Michigan  at  its  back  to  hungry  New  York  and 
hungry  England. 

5.  Coal  lay  in  ledges  under  the  ground  since  the 
flood,  until  a  laborer  with  pick  and  windlass  brings  it 
to  the  surface.  We  may  well  call  it  black  diamonds. 
Every  basket  is  power  and  civilization.  For  coal  is  a 
portable  climate.  It  carries  the  heat  of  the  tropics  to 
Labrador  and  the  polar  circle :  and  it  is  the  means  of 
transporting  itself  whithersoever  it  is  wanted.  Watt 
and  Stephenson  whispered  in  the  ear  of  mankind  their 
secret,  that  a  half  ounce  of  coal  will  draw  two  tons  a 
mile,  and  coal  carries  coal,  by  rail  and  by  boat,  to  make 
Canada  as  warm  as  Calcutta,  and  with  its  comfort  brings 
its  industrial  power. 

6.  When  the  farmer's  peaches  are  taken  from  under 
the  tree,  and  carried  into  town,  they  have  a  new  look, 
and  a  hundredfold  value  over  the  fruit  which  grew  on 
the  same  bough,  and  lies  fulsomely  on  the  ground. 
Tlie  craft  of  the  merchant  is  this  brin^insr  a  thins  from 
where  it  abounds,  to  where  it  is  costly. 

7.  Wealth  begins  in  a  tight  roof  that  keeps  the  rain 
and  wind  out ;  in  a  good  pump  that  yields  you  ])lenty 
of  sweet  water;  in  two  suits  of  clothes,  so  to  cliange 
your  dress  when  you  are  wet;  in  dry  sticks  to  burn; 
in  a  good  double-wick  lamp ;  and  tliree  meals ;  in  a 
horse,  or  a  locomotive,  to  cross  the  land ;  in  a  boat  to 
cross  the  sea;  in  tools  to  work  with;  in  books  to  read; 


300  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

and  so,  in  giving,  on  all  sides,  by  tools  and  auxiliaries, 
the  greatest  possible  extension  to  our  powers,  as  if  it 
added  feet,  and  hands,  and  eyes,  and  blood,  length  to 
the  day,  and  knowledge,  and  good-will. 

8.  Wealth  begins  with  these  articles  of  necessity.  And 
here  we  must  recite  the  iron  law  which  Nature  thunders 
in  these  northern  climates.  First,  she  requires  that  each 
man  should  feed  himself.  If,  happily,  his  fathers  have 
left  him  no  inheritance,  he  must  go  to  work,  and  by 
making  his  wants  less,  or  his  gains  more,  he  must  draw 
himself  out  of  that  state  of  pain  and  insult  in  which 
she  forces  the  beggar  to  lie.  She  gives  him  no  rest 
until  this  is  done.  She  starves,  taunts,  and  torments 
him,  takes  away  warmth,  laughter,  sleep,  friends,  and 
daylight,  until  he  has  fought  his  way  to  his  own  loaf. 
Tlien,  less  peremptorily,  but  still  with  sting  enough, 
slie  urges  him  to  the  acquisition  of  such  things  as  be- 
long to  him.  Every  warehouse  and  shop-window,  every 
fruit-tree,  every  thought  of  every  hour,  opens  a  new 
want  to  him,  which  it  concerns    his   power  and   dignity 

to    gratliy.  Emerson's  Essays. 


12.     THE  ASTEONOMER'S   VISION. 

[This  extraci,  translated  and  paraphrased  by  Professor  Mitchell,  is 
characterized  hy  solemnity  and  sxihliviity,  nice  and  wonder.  It  should 
be  read  with  subdued  force,  median  stress,  orotund  quality,  low  pitch.] 

1.  God  called   up   from  dreams  a  man  into  the  vesti- 
'  hide   of  heaven,  saying,    "  Gome  thou  hither  and  see  the 

glory  of  my  house."  And  to  the  servants  that  stood 
around  his  throne  he  said,  "Take  him,  and  undress  him 
from  his  robes  of  flesh :  cleanse  his  vision,  and  put  a 
new  breath  into  his  nostrils :  only  touch  not  with  any 
change  his  human  heart — the  heart  that  ^ve(f)s  and 
irhnhles." 

2.  It   was    dbne :    and,    with    a   miglity   dngel   for   his 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  301 

guide,  the  man  stood  ready  for  his  infinite  vhyagc ;  and 
from  the  terraces  of  heaven,  without  sound  or  farewell, 
at  once  they  wheeled  away  into  Endless  space.  Some- 
times with  the  solemn  flight  of  angel  wing  they  fled 
through  infinite  realms  of  ddrJcness,  through  wildernesses 
of  death,  that  divided  the  ivdrlds  of  life;  sometimes 
they  swept  over  frontiers  that  were  quickening  under 
prophetic  motions  from  God. 

3.  Then  from  a  distance  that  is  counted  only  in 
heaven,  light  dawned  for  a  time  through  a  sleepy  film ; 
by  unutterable  2^'^c(^>  the  light  swept  to  tMm,  they,  by 
unutterable  pace,  to  the  light.  In  a  moment,  tlie  rushing 
of  planets  was  upon  them :  in  a  moment,  the  blazing  of 
siins  was  around  them. 

4.  Then  came  eternities  of  tvMight,  that  revealed,  but 
were  not  revealed.  On  the  right  hand  and  on  tlie  left 
toward  mighty  constellations,  that  by  self-repetitions  and 
answers  from  afar,  that  by  counter-positions,  built  up 
triumjjhal  gates,  whose  architraves,  whose  archways — 
horizontal,  upright — rested,  rose  at  altitude,  by  spans 
that  seemed  ghostly  from  infinitude.  Without  measure 
were  the  drchitraves,  past  numher  were  the  drchivays, 
heyond  memory  the  gates. 

5.  Within  y^ere  stairs  that  scaled  the  eternities  below; 
above  was  belbiv — below  was  above,  to  the  man  stripped 
of  gravitating  body:  depth  was  swallowed  up  in  height 
insurmountable,  height  was  swallowed  up  in  depth  un- 
fdthomable.  Suddenly,  as  thus  they  rode  from  infinite 
to  infinite,  siiddenly,  as  thus  they  tilted  over  abysmal 
worlds,  a  mighty  cry  arose — that  systems  more  mysteri- 
ous, that  worlds  more  billowy, — other  heights  and  other 
depths, — were  cdming,  were  nearing,  were  at  hand. 

6.  Then  the  man  sighed,  and  stdojjed,  shUddered,  and 
wept.  His  overladen  heart  uttered  itself  in  tears,  and 
he  said:  "  AngeY,  I  will  go  no  farther.  For  the  spirit 
of  man   dchcth  with    this   infinity.      Insiifierable   is   the 


302  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

[iJory  of  Ghd.  Let  me  lie  down  in  the  grave  and  hide 
me  from  the  prosecution  of  the  infinite;  for  end,  I  see, 
there  is  none." 

7.  And  from  all  the  listenii:g  stars  that  shone  around 
issued  a  choral  voice :  "  The  man  speaks  triilj/ :  end 
there  is  none,  that  ever  yet  we  heard  of"  "  Und'  is 
there  none  ? "  the  angel  solemnly  demanded.  "  Is  there 
indeed  no  6nd  ? — and  is  this  the  sorrow  that  kills  you  ? " 
But  no  voice  tbnswered,  that  he  miglit  answer  himself. 
Then  the  angel  threw  up  his  glorious  hands  to  the 
heaven  of  heavens,  saying,  "  End'  is  tliere  none  to  the 
universe  of  God.     Lo !   also,  there  is  no  beginning." 


13.     EDUCATION". 

1.  Suppose  it  were  perfectly  certain  tliat  the  life  and 
fortune  of  every  one  of  us  would,  one  day  or  other, 
de])end  upon  his  M'iiniing  or  losing  a  game  at  chess. 
Do  n't  you  tliink  that  we  should  all  consider  it  to  be  a 
pi'imary  duty  to  learn  at  least  the  names  and  the  moves 
of  the  pieces ;  to  have  a  notion  of  a  gambit,  and  a  keen 
eye  for  all  the  meaus  of  giving  and  getting  out  of  check  ? 
Do  you  not  tlunk  that  we  should  look  with  a  disappro- 
bation amounting  to  scorn,  upon  the  father  who  allowed 
his  son,  or  the  state  which  allowed  its  members,  to  grow 
up  without  knowing  a  pawn  from  a  knight? 

2.  Yet  it  is  a  very  plain  and  elementary  truth,  that 
the  life,  the  fortune,  and  tlie  happiness  of  every  one  of 
us,  and,  more  or  less,  of  those  who  are  connected  with 
us,  do  depend  upon  our  knowing  something  of  the  rules 
of  a  game  infinitely  more  difticult  and  complicated  tlian 
chess.  It  is  a  game  which  has  been  played  fur  untold 
ages,  every  man  and  woman  of  us  being  one  of  the 
two  players  in  a  game  of  his  or  her  own.  The  chess- 
board is  the  world,  the  pieces  are  the  phenomena  of  the 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  303 

universe,  the   rules  of  the   game    are    what  we  call  the 
laws  of  Nature. 

3.  The  player  on  the  otlier  side  is  hidden  from  us. 
We  know  that  his  play  is  always  fair,  just,  and  patient. 
But  also  we  know,  to  our  cost,  that  he  never  overlooks 
a  mistake,  or  makes  the  smallest  allowance  for  ignorance. 
To  the  man  who  plays  well,  the  highest  stakes  are  paid, 
with  that  sort  of  overflowing  generosity  with  which  the 
strong  shows  delight  in  strength.  And  one  who  plays 
ill  is  checkmated — without   haste,  but   without  remorse. 

4.  Well,  what  I  mean  by  Education  is  learning  the 
rules  of  this  mighty  game.  In  other  words,  education 
is  the  instruction  of  the  intellect  in  the  laws  of  Nature, 
under  which  name  I  include  not  merely  things  and  their 
forces,  but  men  and  their  ways;  and  the  fashioning  of 
the  affections  and  of  the  will  into  an  earnest  and  loving 
desire  to  move  in  harmony  with  those  laws.  For  me, 
education  means  neither  more  nor  less  than  this.  Any- 
thing which  professes  to  call  itself  education  must  be 
tried  by  this  standard,  and  if  it  fails  to  stand  the  test, 
I  will  not  call  it  education,  whatever  may  be  the  force 
of  authority,  or  of  numbers,  upon  the  other  side. 

5.  It  is  important  to  remember  that,  in  strictness, 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  an  uneducated  man.  Take  an 
extreme  case.  Suppose  that  an  adult  man,  in  the  full 
vigor  of  his  faculties,  could  be  suddenly  placed  in  the 
world,  as  Adam  is  said  to  have  been,  and  then  left  to 
do  as  he  best  might.  How  long  would  he  be  left  un- 
educated ?  Not  five  minutes.  Nature  would  begin  to 
teach  him,  through  the  eye,  the  ear,  the  touch,  the 
properties  of  objects.  Pain  and  pleasure  would  be  at 
his  elbow  telling  him  to  do  this  and  avoid  that ;  and  by 
slow  degrees  the  man  would  receive  an  education,  which, 
if  narrow,  would  be  thorough,  real,  and  adequate  to  his 
circumstances,  though  there  would  be  no  extras  and 
very  few  accomplishments. 


304  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

6.  Those  who  take  honors  iu  Nature's  university,  who 
learn  the  laws  which  govern  men  and  things  and  obey 
them,  are  the  really  great  and  successful  men  in  this 
world.  Those  wiio  won't  learn  at  all  are  plucked ;  and 
then  you  can't  come  up  again.  Nature's  pluck  means 
extermination. 

7.  Thus  the  question  of  compulsory  education  is  set- 
tled so  far  as  Nature  is  concerned.  Her  bill  on  that 
question  was  framed  and  passed  long  ago.  But,  like 
all  compulsory  legislation,  that  of  Nature  is  harsh  and 
wasteful  in  its  operation.  Ignorance  is  visited  as  sharply 
as  willful  disobedience — incapacity  meets  with  the  same 
punishment  as  crime.  Nature's  discipline  is  not  even  a 
word  and  a  blow,  and  the  blow  first ;  but  the  blow 
without  the  word.  It  is  left  to  you  to  find  out  why 
your  ears  are  boxed.  huxley. 


14     MATHEMATICS   AND   PHYSICS. 

1.  For  all  the  higher  arts  of  con.struction,  some 
acquaintance  with  mathematics  is  indispensable.  Tlie 
vilhige  carpenter,  who,  lacking  rational  instruction,  lays 
out  his  work  by  empirical  rules  learnt  in  his  a])]n-en- 
ticeship,  equally  with  the  builder  of  a  Britannia  Bridge, 
makes  hourly  reference  to  the  laws  of  quantitative  rela- 
tions. The  surveyor  on  whose  survey  the  land  is 
purchased,  the  architect  in  designing  a  mansion  to  be 
built  on  it,  tlie  builder  in  preparing  his  estimates,  his 
foreman  in  laying  out  the  foundations,  the  masons  in 
cutting  tlie  stones,  and  the  various  artisans  who  put  up 
the  fittings,  are  all  guided  by  geometiical  truths.  Eail- 
Avay-making  is  regulated  from  beginning  to  end  by 
mathematics :  alike  in  the  preparation  of  plans  and  sec- 
tions, in  staking  out  the  line,  in  the  mensuration  of 
cuttings  and  embankments,  in  the  designing,  estimating, 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  305 

and  building  of  bridges,  culverts,  viaducts,  tunnels,  sta- 
tions. And  similarly  with  tlie  harbors,  docks,  piers,  and 
various  engineering  and  architectural  works  that  fringe 
the  coasts  and  overspread  the  face  of  the  country,  as 
well  as  the  mines  that  run  underneath  it. 

2.  Out  of  geometry,  too,  as  applied  to  astronomy,  the 
art  of  navigation  has  grown;  and  so,  by  this  science, 
has  been  made  possible  that  enormous  foreign  commerce 
w'hich  supports  a  large  part  of  our  population,  and 
su})plies  us  with  many  necessaries  and  most  of  our 
luxuries. 

3.  And  nowadays  even  the  farmer,  for  the  correct 
laying  out  of  his  drains,  has  recourse  to  the  level — that 
is,  to  geometrical  principles.  When  from  those  divisions 
of  mathematics  which  deal  with  space,  and  number,  some 
small  smattering  of  which  is  given  in  schools,  we  turn 
to  that  otlier  division  which  deals  with  force — of  which 
even  a  smattering  is  scarcely  ever  given — we  meet  with 
another  large  class  of  activities  which  this  science  pre- 
sides over. 

4.  On  the  application  of  rational  mechanics  depends 
the  success  of  nearly  all  modern  manufacture.  The 
properties  of  the  lever,  the  w^heel  and  axle,  etc.,  are 
involved  in  every  machine;  every  machine  is  a  solidified 
mechanical  theorem ;  and  to  machinery  in  these  times 
we  owe  nearly  all  production. 

5.  Trace  the  history  of  the  breakfast-roll.  The  soil 
out  of  which  it  came  was  drained  with  machine-made 
tiles ;  the  surface  was  turned  over  by  a  machine ;  the 
seed  was  put  in  by  a  machine ;  the  wheat  was  reaped, 
thrashed,  and  winnowed  by  machines;  by  machinery  it 
was  ground  and  bolted ;  and  had  the  flour  been  sent  to 
Gosport,  it  might  have  been  made  into  biscuits  by  a 
machine. 

6.  Look  round  the  room  in  which  you  sit.  If  mod- 
ern, probably  the  bricks  in  its  walls  were  machine-made ; 

20 


306  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

by  machinery  the  flooring  was  saM-n  and  planed,  the 
mantel-shelf  sawn  and  polished,  the  paper-hangings  made 
and  printed ;  the  veneer  on  tlie  table,  the  turned  legs  of 
the  chairs,  the  carpet,  the  curtains,  are  all  products  of 
machinery. 

7.  And  your  clothing — plain,  figured,  or  printed — is 
it  not  wholly  woven,  nay,  perhaps  even  sewed,  by  ma- 
chinery ?  And  the  volume  you  are  reading — are  not  its 
leaves  fabricated  by  one  machine  and  covered  with  these 
words  by  another  ?  Add  to  which,  that,  for  the  means 
of  distribution  over  both  land  and  sea,  we  are  similarly 
indebted. 

8.  And  then  let  it  be  remembered  that  according  as 
the  principles  of  mechanics  are  well  or  ill  used  to  these 
ends,  comes  success  or  failure — individual  and  national. 
The  engineer  who  misapplies  his  formuhe  for  the  strength 
of  materials,  builds  a  bridge  that  breaks  down.  The 
manufacturer  whose  apparatus  is  badly  devised,  can  not 
compete  with  another  whose  apparatus  wastes  less  in 
friction  and  inertia. 

9.  The  ship-builder  adhering  to  the  old  model  is  out- 
sailed by  one  who  builds  on  the  mechanically  justified 
w^ave-line  principle.  And  as  the  ability  of  a  nation  to 
hold  its  own  against  other  nations  depends  on  the  skilled 
activity  of  its  units,  we  see  that  on  sucli  knowledge 
may  turn  the  national  fate.  Judge,  then,  the  worth  of 
mathematics. 

10.  Pass  next  to  physics.  Joined  with  mathematics, 
it  has  given  us  the  steam-engine,  which  does  the  work 
of  millions  of  laborers.  That  section  of  physics  which 
deals  witli  the  laws  of  heat,  has  taught  us  how  to  econ- 
omize fuel  in  our  various  industries ;  how  to  increase 
the  produce  of  our  smelting  furnaces  by  substituting 
the  hot  for  the  cold  blast ;  how  to  ventilate  our  mines ; 
how  to  prevent  explosions  by  using  the  safety-lamp ; 
and,  tlirough  tlie  thermometer,  liow  to  regulate  innumer- 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  307 

able  processes.  That  division  which  has  the  phenomena 
of  light  for  its  subject,  gives  eyes  to  the  old  and  the 
myopic ;  aids  through  the  microscope  in  detecting  dis- 
eases and  adulterations ;  and  by  improved  lighthouses 
prevents  shipwrecks. 

11.  Eesearches  in  electricity  and  magnetism  have  saved 
incalculable  life  and  property  by  the  compass ;  have 
subserved  sundry  arts  by  the  electrotype ;  and  now,  in 
the  telegraph,  have  supplied  us  with  the  agency  by 
which,  for  the  future,  all  mercantile  transactions  will  be 
regulated,  political  intercourse  carried  on,  and  perhaps 
national  quarrels  often  avoided.  While  in  the  details 
of  indoor  life,  from  the  improved  kitchen  range  up  to 
the  stereoscope  on  the  drawing-room  table,  the  applica- 
tions  of  advanced    physics    underlie    our    comforts    and 

gratifications.  Herbert  Spencer. 


SECTION   II. 
PROSE  DECLAMATIONS. 

1.     CHARACTER   OF  TRUE   ELOQUENCE. 

[This  speech  is  characterized  by  full  declamatory  force,  long  pauses, 
strong  erajyhasis,  prevailing  dovmward  inflection,  orotund  quality,  and 
radical  stress.  Require  pupils  to  give  reasons  for  the  marking  of  rhe- 
torical pauses  and  inflections.] 

1.  Wlien  public  hddics  \  are  to  be  addressed  |  on  mo- 
mentous occasions,  when  great  interests  \  are  at  stake, 
and  strong  pdssioiis  \  excited,  nothing  \  is  valuable  |  in 
speech,  further  than  it  is  connected  |  with  high  intel- 
lectual 1  and  mbral  endowments.  Clearness,  force,  and 
earnestness  \  are  the  qualities  \  which  produce  conviction. 
True  eloquence,  indeed,  does  not  consist  in  speech.  It 
cdnnot  be  brought  from  far.     Labor  and  learning  may 


308  SCHOOL  elocution. 

toil  for  it,  but  they  will  toil  in  vdiii.  Wdrds  and  phrases  | 
may  be  marshaled  in  everi/  way,  but  they  can  not  cowi- 
pass  it.  It  must  exist  in  the  man,  in  the  subject,  and 
in  the  occasion. 

2.  Affected  passion,  intense  expression,  the  pomp  of 
declamation,  all  \  may  aspire  after  it ;  they  cannot  reach 
it.  It  comes,  if  it  come  at  cell,  like  the  outbreaking  of 
a  fduntain  from  the  earth,  or  the  bursting  forth  of  vol- 
canic fires,  wath  spontaneous,  original,  ndtive  force. 

3.  The  grdces  \  taught  in  the  schools,  the  costly  6rna- 
ments  \  and  studied  contrivances  of  speech,  shdck  and 
disgust  men,  when  their  own  lives,  and  the  fate  of  their 
wives,  their  children,  and  their  coiintry,  hang  on  the 
decision  of  the  hour.  Then,  words  have  lost  their  power, 
rhetoric  is  vam,  and  all  elaborate  dratory  \  contenvptible. 
Even  genius  itself  \  then  feels  rehvbked  and  subdiicd,  as 
in  the  presence  of  higher  qualities.  Then,  patriotism  \ 
is  eloquent;  tli^n,  self-devhtion  \  is  eloquent, 

4.  The  c/crt?'  conception,  outrunning  the  deductions  of 
logic,  the  high  |>iV?7^ase,  the  /ir??i  resolve,  the  dauntless 
spirit,  speaking  on  tlie  tongue,  beaming  from  the  f^(?, 
informing  eve?',?/  feature,  and  urging  the  if/w/c  7?i(i7t  | 
bmvard,  right  onward,  to  his  object — this,  this  \  is  eloquence ; 
or,  rather,  it  is  something  grSater  and  higher  than  a^^ 
eloquence — it  is  action,  noble,  sidjlimc,  godlike  action. 

2.     NATIONAL   GEEATNESS. 

1.  I  believe  there  is  no  permanent  greatness  to  a 
nation  except  it  be  based  upon  mordlitg.  I  do  not  care 
for  military  greatness  or  military  rcn6wn.  I  care  for 
the  condition  of  the  j^^ople  among  whom  I  live.  Tliere 
is  no  man  in  England  who  is  less  likely  to  speak  irrev- 
erently of  the  crown  and  monarchy  of  England  than  I 
am ;  but  crowns,  coronets,  miters,  military  display,  the 
pcjiup  of  war,  wide  colonies,  and  a  huge  <impire  are,  in 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  309 

my  view,  all  trifles  light  as  b.ir,  and  not  worth  consid- 
ering, unless  with  them  you  can  have  a  fair  share  of 
comfort,  contentment,  and  happiness  among  the  great 
body  of  the  people. 

2.  Palaces,  baronial  castles,  great  halls,  stately  man- 
sions, do  not  make  a  nation.  The  nation,  in  every 
country,  dwells  in  the  cottage;  and  unless  the  light  of 
your  constitution  can  shine  there,  unless  the  beauty  of 
your  legislation  and  excellence  of  your  statesmanship 
are  impressed  tMre  in  the  feelings  and  condition  of  the 
people,  rely  upon  it  you  have  yet  to  learn  the  duties  of 
government.  john  bright. 


3.     THE  PASSING   OF   THE   EUBICOK 

\^An  example  of  impassioned  argutnentative  declamation.] 

1.  A  gentleman,  Mr.  President,  speaking  of  Csesar's 
henevoIc7it  dispodtion,  and  of  the  reluctance  with  which 
he  entered  into  the  civil  war,  observes,  ^'  Hoio  long  did 
\iQ  pause  upon  the  brink  of  the  Buhicon?"  How  ciime 
he  to  the  brink  of  that  river  ?  How  dared  he  cross  it  ? 
Shall  private  men  respect  the  boundaries  of  private 
property,  and  shall  a  man  pay  no  respect  to  the  bound- 
aries of  his  country  s  rights  ?  How  dared  he  cross  that 
river?  0,  but  he  2idused  upon  the  brink!  He  should 
have  perished  upon  the  brink  ere  he  had  crossed  it ! 

2.  Whi/  did  he  pause  ?  Why  does  a  man's  heart  pd,l- 
pitate  when  he  is  on  the  point  of  committing  an  im- 
ldv}ful  deed  ?  Why  does  the  very  murderer,  his  victim 
sleeping  before  him,  and  his  glaring  eye  taking  the 
measure  of  the  blow,  strike  tvlde  of  the  mortal  part  ? 
Because  of  cSnscience !  'T  was  that  made  Ccesar  pause 
upon  the  brink  of  the  Ptubicon. 

3.  Compassion !  What  compassion !  The  compassion 
of   an    assassin,   that   feels   a   inhmentary  shudder  as  his 


310  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

weapon  begins  to  cut !  Csesar  paused  upon  the  brink 
of  the  Eubicon  ?  What  ivcis  the  llubicon  ?  The  boundary 
of  Csesar's  prbvince.  From  what  did  it  separate  his 
province  ?  From  his  country.  "Was  that  country  a 
desert  ?  iVo ;  it  was  cultivated  and  fertile ;  rich  aud 
jjopulous  !  Its  sons  were  men  of  genius,  spirit,  and  gen- 
erosity !  Its  daughters  were  lovely,  susceptihle,  and  chaste  ! 
Friendship  wds  its  inhabitant!  Lbce  was  its  inhabitant! 
Domestic  affection  was  its  inhabitant !  Liberty  was  its 
inhabitant !  All  bounded  by  the  stream  of  the  Rubicon  ! 
4.  What  was  Ccesar,  that  stood  upon  the  brink  of 
that  river  ?  A  traitor,  bringing  war  and  pestilence  into 
the  heart  of  that  country  !  No  ivonder  that  he  paused — 
no  w6iulcr  if,  his  imagination  wrought  upon  by  his  con- 
science, he  had  beheld  hlood  instead  of  water ;  and  heard 
grSans  instead  of  miirmurs  !  No  wonder  if  some  gorgon 
horror  had  turned  him  into  stone  upon  the  spot  !  Bat, 
no  ! — he  cried,  "  The  die  is  cast !  "  He  pliinged  ! — he 
crhssed  ! — and  Borne  luas  free  no  mbre  !  knowles. 


4.     OUR   DUTIES   TO   OUR  COUNTRY. 

\^An   exa7nple   of    oratorical   declamation.     Movement,    slow  ;    quality, 
orotund;  prevailing  inflections,  falling.'] 

1.  This  lovely  hind,  this  glorious  liberty,  these  benign 
institutions,  the  dear  purchase  of  our  fathers,  are  burs; 
ours  to  enjdy,  ours  to  ^^reservc,  ours  to  transmXt.  Gen- 
erations past,  and  generations  to  come,  hold  us  resi)on- 
sible  for  this  sacred  tnist.  Our  fathers,  from  behind, 
admonish  us,  with  their  anxious  ])aternal  vbices ;  posterity 
calls  out  to  us,  from  the  bosom  of  the  fiiture ;  the  world 
turns  hither  its  solicitous  eyes — ill,  all  conjure  us  to  act 
wisely,  and  faithfully,  iu  the  relations  which  we  sustiiin. 

2.  We  can  never,  indeed,  pay  the  debt  which  is  nj)bn 
us  ;  but  by  virtue,  by  morality,  by  religion,  by  the  culti- 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  311 

vation  of  every  good  principle  and  every  good  hdhit, 
we  may  hope  to  enjoy  the  blessing  through  oitr  day, 
and  to  leave  it  unimpaired  to  our  children.  Let  us  feel 
deeply  how  much  of  what  we  dre,  and  what  we  possess, 
we  owe  to  this  liberty,  and  these  institutions  of  gbvcrn- 
ment. 

3.  iSTature  has,  indeed,  given  us  a  soil  which  yields 
bounteously  to  the  hands  of  industry ;  the  mighty  and 
fruitful  ocean  is  before  us,  and  the  skies  over  our  heads 
shed  health  and  vigor.  But  what  are  lands,  and  seas, 
and  skies,  to  civilized  man,  without  society,  without 
knowledge,  without  morals,  without  religious  cidtiire  ? 
and  how  can  these  be  enjoyed,  in  all  their  extent,  and 
all  their  Excellence,  but  under  the  protection  of  wise 
institutions  and  a  free  government  ? 

4.  Fellow-citizens,  there  is  not  one  of  us  here  present 
who  does  not,  at  tliis  moment,  and  at  every  moment, 
experience  in  his  own  condition,  and  "in  the  condition 
of  those  most  near  and  ddar  to  him,  the  influence  and 
the  benefits  of  this  lihcrty,  and  these  institutions.  Let 
us  then  acknowledge  the  blessing;  let  us  feel  it  deeply 
and  pmv  erf  idly ;  let  us  cherish  a  strong  affection  for  it, 
and  resolve  to  maintain  and  perpetnate  it.  The  blood 
of  our  fathers,  let  it  not  have  been  slied  in  vain;  the 
great  hope  of  posterity,  let  it  not  be  blasted.  Webster. 


5.     THE   AMEEICAIT  WAR. 

1.  These  abominable  principles,  and  this  mbre  abom- 
inable avdival  of  them,  demand  the  most  decisive  indig- 
nation !  I  call  upon  that  Right  Reverend  Bench,  those 
holy  ministers  of  the  Gbspel,  and  pious  pastors  of  our 
Church ;  I  conjure  them  to  join  in  the  holy  ivork,  and 
to  vindicate  the  religion  of  their  Ghd !  I  appeal  |  to 
the  wisdom  \  and  the  Idvj  \  of  this  learned  Bench,  to  de- 


312  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

fend  and  support  the  justice  of  their  country !  I  call 
upon  the  Blsliops  \  to  interpose  the  unsullied  sdnctitij  | 
of  their  lawn,  upon  the  jiklycs  \  to  interpose  the  purity  \ 
of  their  ermine,  to  save  us  from  this  jwllution  ! 

2.  I  call  upon  the  hbnor  of  your  Lordships,  to  rever- 
ence the  dignity  of  your  dnccstors,  and  to  maintain 
your  biun  !  I  call  upon  the  spirit  and  humanity  of  my 
cbuntry,  to  vindicate  the  national  character!  I  invoke 
the  genius  of  the  Constitution  !  From  the  tapestry  |  tliat 
adorns  these  ludlls,  the  immortal  ancestor  of  the  noble 
Lord  I  frowns  with  incligndtion  at  the  cUsgrdee  of  his 
coilntry  ! 

3.  Turn  forth  into  our  settlements,  among  our  ancient 
connections,  friends,  and  rcldtions,  tlie  merciless  cannibal, 
thirsting  for  the  blood  of  man,  wdman,  and  child  1  Send 
forth  the  infidel  savage  1  Against  ichbm  ?  Against  your 
brethren  !  To  lay  waste  their  country,  to  desolate  tlieir 
dwellings,  and  extvipate  their  rdee  and  name,  witli  these 
horrible  hounds  of  savage  war ! 

4.  Spdin  I  armed  herself  witli  hlbod-hounds  to  extir])ate 
the  wretched  natives  of  America ;  and  ide  \  improve  on 
the  inhuman  example  \  of  even  Spanish  cruelty; — we 
turn  loose  these  sdvages,  these  fiendish  hdunds,  against 
our  brethren  and  countrymen  in  America,  of  the  same 
Idinguage,  laws,  liberties,  "and  religion — endeared  to  us  by 
every  tie  that  should  sanctify  hivmdnity  !  pitt. 


6.     FEEEDOM. 

I  will  speak  the  words  of  Freedom  ;  I  will  listen  to 
her  music  ;  I  will  acknowledge  her  Impulxes  ;  I  will  stand 
bcncatli  her  fidg  ;  I  will  light  in  hor  ranis;  and,  when 
I  do  S('),  1  shall  lind  inysclt'  suvi'oiiudcil  by  the  gredt, 
the  yyise,  the  good,  the  brave,  the  noble  of  every  hind. 
If   I  could  stand  for  a  moment  upon  one  of  your   high 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  313 

moiinfain-toi)S,  far  above  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  civil- 
ized tvorld,  and  there  might  see,  coming  up,  one  after 
another,  the  bravest  and  wisest  of  the  ancient  ivdrriors, 
and  statesmen,  and  kings,  and  indnarchs,  and  priests;  and 
if,  as  they  came  up,  I  might  be  permitted  to  ask  from 
them  an  expression  of  opinion  upon  such  a  case  as  this, 
with  a  coinmon  voice  and  in  thunder  tones,  reverberating 
through  a  thousand  valleys,  and  echoing  dbivn  the  ages, 
they  would  cry  :  "  Liberty,  Freedom,  the  Universal  Brother- 
hood of  3Idn/"  -^  join  that  shout;  I  swell  that  anthem ; 
I  echo  that  praise  forever,  and  for  evermore. 

Col.  E.  D.  Baker. 


7.     THE  VOICES  OF  THE  DEAD. 

1.  The  n-orld  |  is  filled  |  with  the  voices  of  the  dead. 
"They  sjjcak  \  not  from  the  public  records  of  the  great 
ludrld  only,  but  from  the  priA'ate  history  |  of  our  own 
experience.  They  speak  to  us  |  in  a  thousand  remem- 
hrances,  in  a  thousand  incidents,  events,  and  associations. 
They  speak  to  us,  not  only  from  their  silent  grdves,  but 
from  the  throng  of  life.  Though  they  are  invisible,  yet 
life  I  is  filled  \  with  their  presence.  They  are  with  us 
by  the  silent  fireside  \  and  in  the  secluded  chamber. 
They  are  ivith  us  ]  in  the  paths  of  society,  and  in  the 
crowded  assemblies  of  men. 

2.  They  speak  to  us  |  from  the  lonely  wdy-sidc;  and 
they  speak  to  us  |  from  the  venerable  u-cills  \  that  echo 
to  the  steps  of  a  multitude  |  and  to  the  voice  of  prayer. 
Go  where  we  will,  the  dead  \  are  wUli  us.  We  live,  we 
converse  with  those  \  who  once  lived  |  and  conversed  j 
with  lis.  Their  well-remembered  tone  |  mingles  with  the 
whispering  breeze,  W'itli  the  sound  of  the  falling  Idaf, 
with  tlie  jubilee  shout  j  of  tlie  sjjrlng-thnQ. — The  earth 
I  is  filled  I  witli  tlieir  sliadowy  train. 


314  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

3.  But  there  are  more  substantial  expressions  |  of  the 
presence  of  the  dead  \  with  the  living.  The  earth  |  is 
filled  with  the  labors,  the  ivorks,  of  the  dead.  Almost 
all  the  literature  in  the  world,  the  discoveries  of  science, 
the  glories  of  drt,  the  ever-enduring  temples,  the  dwelling- 
places  of  generdtions,  the  comforts  and  improvements  of 
life,  the  languages,  the  maxinis,  the  opinions  of  the  living, 
the  very  frame-work  of  society,  the  institutions  of  nations, 
tlie  fabrics  of  empires — all  \  are  the  works  of  the  dead. 
By  these,  they  |  who  are  dead  |  yet  speak.        orville  dewey. 


8.   GPtATTAN'S   REPLY   TO   ME.   COREY. 

[An  example  of  impassioned  sarcasm  and  invective.^ 

1.  Has  the  gentleman  d^nc  ?  Has  he  convpletely  done  ? 
He  was  unparliamentary  from  the  beginning  to  the  end 
of  his  speech.  There  was  scarce  a  ivord  he  uttered  that 
was  not  a  violation  of  the  privileges  of  the  IPmse.  But 
I  did  not  call  him  to  order, — why  ?  because  the  limited 
talents  of  some  men  render  it  impossible  for  them  to 
be  severe  ivithont  being  unparliamentary.  But  before  I 
sit  down,  I  shall  show  him  how  to  be  severe  and  par- 
liamentary at  the  same  time. 

2.  The  right  honorable  gentlemen  has  called  me  "  an 
unimpeached  trditor."  I  ask  why  not  "  traitor^'  unquali- 
fied by  any  hpithet  ?  I  will  tell  him :  it  was  because  he 
dilj^st  not.  It  was  the  act  of  a  coward.,  who  raises  his 
arm  to  strike,  but  has  not  courage  to  give  the  bloiu.  I 
will  not  call  him  villain,  because  it  would  be  unparlia- 
mentary, and  he  is  a  privy  counselor.  I  will  not  call 
him  fool,  because  he  happens  to  be  chancellor  of  tlie 
exchequer.  But  I  say,  he  is  one  who  has  abused  the 
privilege  of  Parliament  and  the  freedom  of  debate,  by 
uttering  language  which,  if  spoken  out  of  the  House,  I 
should   answer  only  with  a  bldio.     I  care  not  how  high 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  315 

his  situation,  how  Idw  his  character,  how  contemptible 
his  speech;  whether  a  privy  counselor  or  a  pitrasite,  my 
auswer  would  be  a  hlow. 

3.  I  have  returned, — not  as  the  right  honorable  mem- 
ber has  said,  to  raise  another  storm, — I  have  returned 
to  discharge  an  honorable  debt  of  gratitude  to  my 
country,  that  conferred  a  great  reward  for  past  services, 
which,  I  am  proud  to  say,  was  not  greater  than  my 
desert.  I  have  returned  to  protect  that  Constitution  of 
wliich  I  was  the  parent  and  founder,  from  the  assassi- 
nation of  such  men  as  the  right  honorable  gentleman 
and  his  unworthy  associates.  They  are  corrupt,  they  are 
seditious,  and  they,  at  this  very  moment,  are  in  a  con- 
spiiracy  against  their  country.  I  have  returned  to  refute 
a  libel,  as  false  as  it  is  malicious,  given  to  the  public 
under  the  appellation  of  a  report  of  the  committee  of 
the  Lords.  Here  I  stand,  ready  for  impeachment  or  trial- 
I  ddre  accusation.  I  defy  the  honorable  gentleman ;  I 
defy  S-he  gdvernment ;  I  defy  their  vjhdle  phalanx;  let 
them  come  forth.  I  tell  tlie  ministers,  I  will  neither 
give  quarter  nor  take  it.  I  am  here  to  lay  the  shat- 
tered remains  of  my  constitution  on  the  floor  of  this 
House,  in  defense  of  the  liberties  of  my  cbuntry. 


9.      SUPPOSED    SPEECH    OF    JOHN"    ADAMS    IN 
SUPPORT  OF   AMEPJCAN   INDEPENDENCE. 

1.  Sink  or  sivim,  live  or  d\e,  survive  or  'perish,  I  give 
my  hand  and  my  heart  to  this  vote.  It  is  true,  indeed, 
tliat  in  the  beginning  we  aimed  not  at  Independence. 
But  there  's  a  Divinity  which  shapes  our  ends.  The 
injustice  of  England  has  driven  us  to  arms ;  and,  blinded 
to  her  own  interest  for  our  good,  she  has  obstinately 
persisted,  till  Independence  is  now  within  our  gr^sp. 
We  have  but  to  reach  forth  to  it,  and  it  is  ours. 


316  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

2.  Vfi^y,  then,  should  "sve  defer  the  Dedarhtion  ?  Is 
any  man  so  weak  as  now  to  hope  for  a  reconcilidtion 
M'ith  England  ?  Do  we  mean  to  submit  to  the  measures 
of  Parliament,  Boston  port-bill  and  ;ill  ?  I  know  we  do 
nbi  mean  to  submit.     We  never  shall  submit. 

3.  Sir,  the  Declaration  will  inspire  the  people  with 
increased  courage.  Instead  of  a  long  and  bloody  war 
for  restoration  of  privileges,  for  redress  of  grievances, 
for  chartered  innniinities,  held  under  a  British  king,  set 
before  them  the  glorious  object  of  entire  Indephidcnce, 
and  it  will  breathe  into  them  anew  the  breath  of  life. 

4.  Eead  this  Declaration  at  the  liead  of  tlie  army: 
every  sword  will  be  drawn  from  its  scabbard,  and  the 
solemn  vow  uttered,  to  maintain  it,  or  to  perisli  on  the 
field  of  honor.  Publish  it  from  the  'pidpit ;  religion  will 
approve  it,  and  the  love  of  religious  liberty  will  cling 
round  it,  resolved  to  stand  with  it,  or  fhll  with  it. 

5.  Send  it  to  the  public  hctlls ;  proclaim  it  there.  Let 
them  hear  it  who  heard  the  first  roar  of  the  cncvujs 
clinnon ;  let  them  see  it  who  saw  their  brothers  and  their 
sons  fall  on  the  field  of  Bunker  Hill,  and  in  the  streets 
of  Lexington  and  Concord,  and  the  very  tvdlls  will  cry 
out  in  its  support. 

6.  Sir,  before  God,  I  believe  the  hour  is  ebme.  My 
judgment  approves  this  measure,  and  my  ivhole  heart  is 
In  it.  All  that  I  have,  and  all  that  I  dm,  and  all  that 
I  hbpe,  in  this  life,  I  am  now  ready  here  to  stake  upon 
it ;  and  I  leave  off  as  I  began,  tliat  lire  or  d\e,  survive 
or  peri>ih,  I  am  ibr  the  Declaration.  It  is  my  living 
sentiment,  and,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  it  sliall  be  my 
dying  sentiment :    Independence  now ;    and  Indipendence 

forher.  Daniel  Wfbster 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  317 

'  10.     THE   COKSTITUTION  AND   THE   UNION. 

\In  this  speech  tlie  movement  is  slow;  the  utterance  deliberate,  the 
pauses  long;  and  the  inficctions  strmigly  marked.] 

1.  For  mi/self,  I  propose,  Sir,  to  abide  by  the  prin- 
ciples I  and  the  p4?yoses  |  which  I  have  avowal.  I  shall 
sttLnd  hy  the  Lfnion,  and  by  all  |  who  stand  hy  it.  I 
shall  do  justice  to  the  whole  country,  according  to  the 
best  of  my  ability,  in  all  I  say,  and  act  for  the  ybod  of 
the  whole  country  \  in  all  I  do.  I  mean  to  stand  upon 
the  Constitution.  I  need  no  other  platform.  I  shall  know 
but  one  country. 

2.  The  ends  I  aim  at  |  shall  be  my  country's,  my 
God's,  and  Truth's.  I  was  hdrn  \  an  American ;  I  will 
live  an  American ;  I  shall  d\e  an  American ;  and  I  intend 
to  perform  the  duties  incumbent  upon  me  |  in  that 
character  |  to  the  end  of  my  career.  I  mean  to  do  this, 
with  the  absolute  disreyard  of  personal  consequences. 

3.  What  are  \  personal  consequences  ?  What  is  the 
individual  man,  with  all  the  good  or  evil  that  may  he- 
tide  him,  in  comparison  with  the  good  or  evil  |  wliich 
may  befall  a  c/rcat  country  \  in  a  crisis  like  thhjS,  and  in 
the  midst  of  great  transactions  \  which  concern  tliat 
country  s  fate  ?  Let  the  co)isequences  \  be  what  they  will. 
I  am  careless.  No  man  can  suffer  too  much,  and  no 
man  can  fall  too  soon,  if  he  suffer  |  or  if  he  f;ill  [  in 
defense  of  the  liberties  \  and  Constitution  \  of  his  coiintry. 

Webster. 

11.     THE   CONSTITUTION. 

1.  Never  did  there  devolve  on  any  generation  of  men 
higher  trusts  than  now  devolve  upon  us,  for  the  pres- 
ervation of  this  Constitution,  and  the  harmony  and 
peace  of  all  who  are  destined  to  live  under  it.  Let  us 
make  our  generation  one  of  the  strongest  and  brightest 
links  in  that  golden  chain  which  is  destined,  I  fondly 


318  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

believe,  to  grapple  the  people  of  all  the  States  to  this 
Constitution  for  ages  to  come. 

2.  We  have  a  great,  popular,  constitutional  govern- 
ment, guarded  by  law  and  by  judicature,  and  defended 
by  the  affections  of  the  people.  Ko  monarchical  throne 
presses  these  States  together.  They  live  and  stand  upon 
a  government  popular  in  its  form,  representative  in  its 
cliaracter,  founded  upon  principles  of  equality,  and  so 
constructed,  we  liope,  as  to  last  forever. 

3.  In  all  its  history  it  has  been  beneficent.  It  has 
trodden  down  no  man's  liberty,  it  has  crushed  no  State. 
Its  daily  respiration  is  liberty  and  patriotism.  Its 
youthful  veins  are  full  of  enterprise,  courage,  and  hon- 
orable love  of  glory  and  renown.  Large  before,  the 
country  has  now,  by  recent  events,  become  vastly  larger. 
This  republic  now  extends,  with  a  vast  breadth,  across 
the  whole  continent.  The  two  great  seas  of  the  world 
wash  the  one  und  the  other  shore.  We  realize  on  a 
mighty  scale  the  beautiful  description  of  the  ornamental 
ed<2infj  of  the  bucklers  of  Achilles  : 

"Now  the  broad  .shield  complete,  the  artist  crowned 
With  his  last  hand,  and  poured  the  ocean  round. 
In  living  silver  seemed  the  waves  to  roll, 
And  beat  the  buckler's  verge  and  bound  the  whole." 

Daniel  Webster. 


12.     DUTIES   OF  AMERICAN   CITIZENS. 

1.  We  have  indulg(Ml  in  gratifying  recollections  of 
the  past,  in  the  prosperity  and  pleasures  of  the  present, 
and  in  high  hopes  for  the  future.  But  let  us  remember 
that  we  have  duties  and  obligations  to  perform,  corre- 
sponding to  the  l)lessings  which  we  enjoy. 

2.  Let  us  remember  the  trust,  the  sacred  trust,  attach- 
ing to  the  rich  inheritance  which  we  have  received  from 
our  fathers.     Let  us  feel  our  personal  responsibility,  to 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  319 

the  full  extent  of  our  power  and  influence,  for  the 
preservation  of  the  principles  of  civil  and  religious  lib- 
erty. And  let  us  remember  that  it  is  only  religion,  and 
morals,  and  knowledge,  that  can  make  men  respectable 
and  happy,  under  any  form  of  government. 

3.  Let  us  hold  fast  the  great  truth,  that  communities 
are  responsible,  as  well  as  individuals;  that  no  govern- 
ment is  respectable,  which  is  not  just ;  that  without  un- 
spotted purity  of  public  faith,  without  sacred  public  prin- 
ciple, fidelity,  and  honor,  no  mere  forms  of  government, 
no  machinery  of  laws,  can  give  dignity  to  political  society. 
In  our  day  and  generation  let  us  seek  to  raise  and  im- 
prove the  moral  sentiment,  so  that  we  may  look,  not 
for  a  degraded,  but  for  an  elevated  and  improved  future. 

4.  And  wdien  both  we  and  our  children  shall  have 
been  consigned  to  the  house  appointed  for  all  living, 
may  love  of  country  and  pride  of  country  glow  with 
equal  fervor  among  those  to  whom  our  names  and  our 
blood  shall  have  descended. 

5.  And  then,  when  honored  and  decrepit  age  shall 
lean  against  the  base  of  this  monument,  and  troops  of 
ingenuous  youth  shall  be  gathered  round  it,  and  when 
the  one  shall  speak  to  the  other  of  its  objects,  the  pur- 
poses of  its  construction,  and  tlie  great  and  glorious 
events  with  which  it  is  connected,  there  shall  rise  from 
every  youthful  breast  the  ejaculation,  "  Thanh  God,  I — 
/  also — am  an  American  !  "  dasiel  Webster. 

13.     LABOR. 

1.  Labor  is  heaven's  great  ordinance  for  human  im- 
provement. Let  not  the  great  ordinance  be  broken  dhvm. 
What  do  I  say  ?  It  is  broken  down ;  and  hcts  been 
broken  down  for  ages.  Let  it,  then,  be  huilt  again ; 
here,  if  dnyiohere,  on  the  shores  of  a  neio  world — of  a 
new  civilization. 


320  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

2.  But  how,  it  may  be  asked,  is  it  broken  dhion  ?  Do 
not  lueu  toll?  it  may  be  said.  They  do,  indeed,  toil; 
but  they  too  gtiuerally  do,  because  they  must.  ]\Iany 
submit  to  it,  as  to,  iu  some  sort,  a  degrading  oicchssity ; 
and  they  desire  nothing  so  much  on  i^arth  as  an  escdj)c 
iiom  it.  This  way  of  thinking  is  the  heritage  of  the 
alj.surd  and  unjust  feudal  system,  under  which  serfs 
L'lbored,  and  (jcntlcnwn  spent  their  lives  in  fifjliting  and 
feasting.  It  is  time  that  this  opprobrium  of  toil  were 
done  away. 

3.  Ashamed  to  tod  !  Ashamed  of  thy  dingy  workshop 
and  dusty  Za/^o?'-field ;  of  thy  hard  hand,  scarred  with 
service  more  honorable  than  that  of  ivdr ;  of  thy  soiled 
and  weatlier-stained  garments,  on  which  mother  Nature 
has  embroidered  mist,  sun  and  rdi)i,  fire  and  steam — 
her  own  heraldic  Jwnors ! 

4.  Ashamed  of  tliose  tokens  and  titles,  and  envious  of 
the  flaunting  robes  of  imbecile  idleness  and  vdnitg  !  It 
is  treason  to  Nature;  it  is  impiety  to  Heaven:  it  is 
breaking  Heaven's  great  brdinance.  Toil — tdil — either  of 
the  hrdin,  of  the  hedrt,  or  of  the  hdnd — is  the  only  triie 
manhood,  the  only  ti^ue  nolAlity !  '      ouville  dewey. 


14.     THE   FUTURE   OF  AMERICA. 

1.  It  cannot  be  denied,  but  by  those  who  would  dis- 
pute against  the  siin,  that  icith  America,  and  i/i  America, 
a  neiv  era  conmiences  in  human  affairs.  This  era  is 
distinguished  by  free  representative  governments,  by  en- 
tire orligious  liberty,  by  im])roved  systems  of  national 
intercourse,  by  a  newly  awakened  and  an  uncon(pierable 
spirit  of  free  inquiry,  and  by  a  diffusion  ol'  knowledge 
tiuDUgh  the  eommunity,  such  as  has  been  before  alto- 
gether unknoivn  and  unhktrd  of 

2.  AuK^rica,  America,  our  country,  our  own    dear   and 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  321 

native  Idnd,  is  inseparably  conu^cted,  fast  bound  up,  in 
fortune  and  by  fate,  with  these  great  interests.  If  they 
fall,  we  fall  with  them ;  if  they  stand,  it  will  be  because 
we  have  upheld  them. 

3.  Let  us  contemplate,  then,  this  connection  which 
binds  the  prosperity  of  others  to  our  oivn ;  and  let  us 
manfully  discharge  all  the  duties  which  it  imposes.  If 
we  cherish  the  virtues  and  the  j^f'inciples  of  our  fathers. 
Heaven  will  assist  us  to  carry  on  the  work  of  human 
liberty  and  human  happiness. 

4.  Auspicious  omens  cheer  us.  Great  cxdmplcs  are 
before  us.  Our  bion  firmament  now  shines  brightly  upon 
our  ptkth.  Washington  is  in  the  clear  upper  sky.  Those 
other  stars  have  now  joined  the  American  constellcition ; 
they  circle  round  their  center,  and  the  heavens  beam 
with  new  light.  Beneath  this  illumination,  let  us  walk 
the  course  of  life,  and  at  its  close  devoutly  commend 
our   beloved    country,   the    common  parent  of  us  all,  to 

the    Divine    Benignity.  Daniel  Webster. 


15.     PATRIOTISM. 

1.  Bereft  of  patriotism,  the  heart  of  a  nation  will  be 
cold  and  cramped  and  sordid ;  the  arts  will  have  no 
enduring  impulse,  and  commerce  no  invigorating  soul ; 
society  will  degenerate,  and  the  mean  and  vicious  will 
triumph.  Patriotism  is  not  a  wild  and  glittering  passion, 
but  a  glorious  reality.  The  virtue  that  gave  to  Paganism 
its  dazzling  luster,  to  Barbarism  its  redeeming  trait,  to 
Christianity  its  heroic  form,  is  not  dead.  It  still  lives 
to  console,  to  sanctify  humanity.  It  has  its  altar  in 
every  clime ;   its  worship  and  festivities. 

2.  On  the  heathered  hills  of   Scotland,  the  sword  of 

Wallace  is  yet  a  bright  tradition.     The  genius  of  France, 

in    the    brilliant    literature   of    the    day,   pays   its   hicrh 
21 


322  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

homage  to  the  piety  and  heroism  of  the  young  Maid 
of  Orleans.  In  her  new  Senate-hall,  England  bids  her 
sculptor  place,  among  the  effigies  of  her  greatest  sons, 
the  images  of  Hampden  and  of  Eussell.  In  the  gay 
and  graceful  capital  of  Belgium,  the  daring  hand  of 
Geefs  has  reared  a  monument  full  of  glorious  meaning 
to  the  three  hundred  martyrs  of  the  revolution. 

3.  By  the  soft  blue  waters  of  Lake  Lucerne  stands 
the  chapel  of  William  Tell.  On  the  anniversary  of  his 
revolt  and  victory,  across  those  waters,  as  tliey  glitter 
in  the  July  sun,  skim  the  light  boats  of  the  allied  can- 
tons, from  the  prows  hang  the  banners  of  the  republic, 
and  as  they  near  the  sacred  spot,  the  daughters  of  Lu- 
cerne chant  the  hymns  of  their  old  poetic  land.  Then 
bursts  forth  the  glad  Te  Deum,  and  Heaven  again  hears 
the  voice  of  that  wild  chivalry  of  the  mountains,  which 
five  centuries  since  pierced  the  white  eagle  of  Vienna, 
and  flung  it  bleeding  on  the  rocks  of  Uri. 

T.  F.  Meagher. 

16.    THE  EOUETH  OF  JULY. 

1.  On  the  Fourth  of  July,  1776,  the  representatives 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  in  Congress  assembled, 
declared  that  these  United  Colonies  are,  and  of  right 
ought  to  be,  free  and  independent  States.  This  decla- 
ration, made  by  most  patriotic  and  resolute  men,  trust- 
ing in  the  justice  of  their  cause,  and  the  protection  of 

'  Providence — and    yet    not   without   deep   solicitude   and 
anxiety — has  stood  for  seventy-five  years,  iind  still  stands. 

2.  It  was  sealed  in  blood.  It  has  met  dangers  and 
overcome  them ;  it  has  had  enemies,  and  it  has  con- 
quered them  ;  it  has  had  detractors,  and  it  has  abashed 
them  all ;  it  lias  had  douljting  friends,  but  it  has  cleared 
all  doubts  away ;  and  now,  to-day,  raising  its  august 
lorni  higher  than  the  clouds,  twenty  millions  of  people 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  323 

contemplate  it  with  hallowed  love ;  and  the  world  beholds 
it,  and  the  consequences  which  have  followed,  with  pro- 
found admiration. 

3.  This  anniversary  animates,  and  gladdens,  and  unites 
all  American  hearts.  On  other  days  of  the  year  we  may 
be  party  men,  indulging  in  controversies  more  or  less 
important  to  the  public  good ;  we  may  have  likes  and 
dislikes,  and  we  may  maintain  our  political  differences 
often  with  warm,  and  sometimes  with  angry  feelings. 
But  to-day  we  are  Americans  all  in  all,  nothing  but 
Americans. 

4.  As  the  great  luminary  over  our  heads,  dissipating 
mists  and  fogs,  cheers  the  whole  hemisphere,  so  do  the 
associations  connected  with  this  day  disperse  all  cloudy 
and  sullen  weather,  and  all  noxious  exhalations  in  the 
minds  and  feelings  of  true  Americans.  Every  man's 
heart  swells  within  him ; — every  man's  port  and  bearing 
become  somewhat  more  proud  and  lofty,  as  he  remem- 
bers that  seventy-five  years  have  rolled  away,  and  that 
the  great  inheritance  of  liberty  is  still  his ;  his,  undi- 
minished and  unimpaired ;  his,  in  all  its  original  glory ; 
his  to  enjoy,  his  to  protect,  and  his  to  transmit  to  future 

generations.  Daniel  Webster. 


17.     TEUE   GEEATNESS. 

1.  The  poet  tells  us,  in  pathetic  cadence,  that 

"The  paths  of  glory  lead  but  to  the  grave." 
But  this  is  true  only  in  the  superficial  sense.  It  is 
true  that  the  fdmous  and  the  ohscure,  the  devoted  and 
the  ignoble,  "alike  await  tlie  inevitable  hbur."  But  the 
path  of  true  glory  does  not  end  in  the  gr^ve.  It  passes 
through  it  to  larger  opportunities  of  service. 

2.  A  great  nature  is  a  shd.     "  It  is  sown  a  natural 
body;  it  is  raised  a  spiritual  body."     It  germinates  thus 


324  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

in  thia  world  as  well  as  in  the  Sthcr.  Was  Warren 
buried  when  he  fell  on  the  field  of  a  defeat,  pierced 
through  the  hrdin,  at  the  commencement  of  the  Eevo- 
liition,  by  a  hidlct  that  put  the  land  in  mourning  ? 

3.  Nb ;  the  monument  that  has  been  raised  where  his 
blood  reddened  the  s6d — grdnite  though  it  be  in  a  hun-  i 
dred  courses — is  a  feeble  witness  of  the  permanence  and ' 
iuliuence  of  his  spirit  among  the  American  phople.  He 
mounted  into  literature  from  the  moment  that  he  fell; 
he  began  to  move  the  soul  of  a  great  community ;  and 
part  of  the  principle  and  enthusiasm  of  Massachusetts 
to-day  is  due  to  his  sacrifice,  to  the  presence  of  his  spirit 
as  a  power  in  the  life  of  the  Sttite. 

4.  Did  Montgdmery  lose  his  influence  as  a  force  in 
the  Revolution,  because  he  died  without  victory  on  its 
threshold,  pierced  with  three  wounds,  before  Quebec  ? 
Philadelphia  was  in  tears  for  him ;  his  eulogies  were 
littered  by  the  most  eloquent  tongues  of  America  and 
Britain,  and  a  thrill  of  his  power  beats  in  the  volumes 
of  our  history,  and  runs  yet  through  the  onset  of  every 
Irish  brigade  beneath  the  American  banner,  which  he 
planted  on  Montredl. 

5.  Did  Laiurcnce  die  when  his  breath  expired  in  the 
defeat  on  the  sea,  after  his  exclamation,  "Don't  give 
up  the  ship!"  What  victorious  captain  in  that  naval 
war  shed  forth  such  pbwer?  His  spirit  soared  and 
touched  every  flag  on  every  frigate,  to  make  its  red  more 
commdnding  and  its  stars  flame  brighter ;  it  went  abroad 
in  sbngs,  and  every  sailor  felt  him  and  feels  him  now  as 
an  insjnrtUion. 

6.  Tlie  soul  is  not  a  shadow.  Tlic  body  is.  Genius  is 
not  a  shadoiu  ;  it  is  silbstancc.  Pdtriotism  is  not  a  shadow  ; 
it  is  light.  Gi'eat  purposes,  and  tlie  spirit  that  counts 
death  nothing  in  contrast  with  hdnor  and  the  welfare  of 
our  cduntry — these  are  the  witnesses  that  man  is  not  a 
passing  vapor,  but  an  immdrtal  spirit.         thomas  starr  kino. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  325 

18.     THE   NOEMANS. 

1.  In  1066,  the  Normans  invaded  England,  and  the 
battle  of  Hastings  broke,  forever,  the  Saxon  and  Danish 
power.  But  years  passed,  and  several  monarchs  filled 
and  vacated  the  English  throne  before  these  Norman 
pioneers  had  accomplished  their  work,  and  molded  the 
nation  to  their  will. 

2.  They  were  warriors — not  reformers.  They  were 
greedy  of  power,  but  impatient  of  its  exercise  upon 
themselves ;  greedy  of  wealth,  but  lavish  in  its  expend- 
iture. They  were  reckless  alike  of  their  own  and  the 
life  of  others.  Turbulent,  unruly — equally  dangerous 
to  the  people  whom  they  subdued,  and  to  the  princes 
who  led  them  to  conquest.  Gallant  men,  full  of  deeds 
of  knightly  courtesy,  yet  reddening  their  hands  with 
the  blood  of  civil  broil,  and  ever  ready  to  maintain 
their  right  with  their  swords. 

3.  Men  of  clear  intellect  and  giant  w^ill,  they  acknowl- 
edged an  uncertain  allegiance  to  their  king,  and  only 
bowed  their  necks  to  the  yoke  of  God,  when  at  the 
close  of  life  they  deemed  it  necessary  to  assume  the 
monastic  habit,  or  to  do  penance  of  their  goods  for  the 
salvation  of  their  souls. 

4.  From  these  stern  and  bloody  men,  "  wlio  came  in 
with  the  Conqueror,"  or  followed  in  the  train  of  his 
successors,  the  noblest  families  of  England  are  proud 
to  derive  their  descent ;  and  even  we  republicans,  upon 
this  distant  coast,  and  at  this  late  period  of  time,  do 
not  refuse  our  admiration  to  these  Norman  pioneers, 
who,  through  the  mists  of  the  past,  loom  up  like  giants 
before  us. 

5.  Yet  our  admiration  of  these  old  warriors,  the  ad- 
miration of  the  world  for  them,  is  not  because  they 
shed  blood,  or  amassed  or  squandered  wealth,  or  swore 
fealty  to  their  kings,  or  broke   their  oaths  in  rebellion, 


326  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

or  committed  or  abstained  from  the  crimes  that  were 
common  to  their  age.  The  Norman  pioneers  are  enrolled 
in  history  among  the  most  illustrious  of  men,  because 
in  the  dark  and  troublous  times  in  which  they  lived,  in 
the  midst  of  confusion  and  blood,  with  strong  hands 
and  undaunted  hearts,  they  laid  deep  the  first  founda- 
tions of  English  liberty,  and  became  the  fathers  of  that 
system  of  common  law  which,  at  the  end  of  eight  hun- 
dred years,  is  the  protection  and  the  glory  of  all  who 
speak  the  English  tongue.  f.  p.  tracy. 


19.    WASHINGTON'S  BIETHDAY. 

1.  Inspiring  auspices,  this  day,  surround  us  and  cheer 
us.  It  is  the  anniversary  of  the  birth  of  Washington. 
We  should  know  this,  even  if  we  had  lost  our  calendars, 
for  we  should  be  reminded  of  it  by  the  shouts  of  joy 
and  gladness.  The  whole  atmosphere  is  redolent  of  his 
name ;  hills  and  forests,  rocks  and  rivers,  echo  and  re- 
echo his  praises. 

2.  All  the  good,  whether  learned  or  unlearned,  high 
or  low,  rich  or  poor,  feel,  this  day,  that  there  is  one 
treasure  common  to  them  all,  and  that  is  the  fame  and 
character  of  Washington.  They  recount  his  deeds,  pon- 
der over  his  principles  and  teachings,  and  resolve  to  be 
more  and  more  guided  by  them  in  the  future. 

3.  To  the  old  and  the  young,  to  all  born  in  the  land, 
and  to  all  whose  love  of  liberty  has  brought  them  from 
foreign  shores  to  make  this  tlie  home  of  their  adojition, 
tlie  name  of  Washington  is  this  day  an  exhilarating 
theme.  Americans  by  l)irth  are  proutl  of  his  character, 
and  exiles  from  foreign  shores  are  eager  to  partici]»ate 
in  admiration  of  him ;  and  it  is  true  that  he  is  this 
day,  here,  everywhere,  all  the  world  over,  more  an  object 
of  love  and  regard  than  on  any  day  since  his  birth. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  327 

4.  On  Washington's  principles,  and  under  the  guid- 
ance of  his  example,  will  we  and  our  children  uphold 
the  Constitution.  Under  his  military  leadership  our 
fathers  conquered ;  and  under  the  outspread  banner  of 
his  political  and  constitutional  principles  will  we  also 
conquer. 

5.  To  that  standard  we  shall  adhere,  and  uphold  it 
through  evil  report  and  through  good  report.  We  will 
meet  danger,  we  will  meet  death,  if  they  come,  in  its 
protection  ;  and  we  will  struggle  on,  in  daylight  and  in 
darkness,  ay,  in  the  thickest  darkness,  with  all  the 
storms  which  it  may  bring  with  it,  till 

"  Danger's  troubled  night  is  o'er, 
And  the  star  of  Peace  return."  Webster. 


y  20.     XATIOXS   AND   HUMANITY. 

1.  It  was  not  his  olive  valleys  and  orange  groves 
which  made  the  Greece  of  tlie  Greek.  It  was  not  for 
his  apple  orchards  or  potato  fields  that  the  farmer  of 
New  England  and  New  York  left  his  plow  in  the 
furrow  and  marched  to  Bunker  Hill,  to  Bdunington,  to 
Saratoga.  A  man's  country  is  not  a  certain  area  of 
land,  but  it  is  a  ^jrwia^j/c ;  and  patriotism  is  loyalty  to 
that  principle.  The  secret  sanctification  of  the  soil  and 
symbol  of  a  country  is  the  idea  which  they  represent ; 
and  tins  idea  the  patriot  worships  through  the  name 
and  the  symbol. 

2.  So  with  passionate  Mroism,  of  which  tradition  is 
never  weary  of  tenderly  tilling,  Arnold  von  Winkelreid, 
gathers  into  his  bosom  the  sheaf  of  foreign  spears.  So, 
Nathan  Hale,  disdaining  no  service  that  duty  demands, 
perishes  untimely  with  no  other  friend  than  God  and 
the  satisfied  sense  of  duty.  So,  through  all  history  from 
the    beginning,   a    noble   army   of   martyrs    has    fought 


328  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

fiercely,   and   fallen   bravely,   for  that    unseen    mistress, 

their  coiXntry.     So,  through    all    history  to    the   dud,  that 
army  must  still  march,  and  fight,  and  fall. 

3.  But  countries  and  fdviilies  are  but  mirseries  and 
Influences.  A  man  is  a  fdtlier,  a  hrdfher,  a  German,  a 
Roman,  an  American;  but  beneath  all  ^A2i;e  relations, 
Ae  -zs  «  ??id7i.  The  end  of  his  human  destiny  is  not  to 
be  the  best  German,  or  the  best  Eoman,  or  the  best 
father ;   but  the  hest  man  he  can  be.        george  w.  Curtis. 


21.     CHAEACTER   OF   WASHINGTON. 

1.  Sir,  it  matters  very  little  what  immediate  spot  may 
be  the  birthplace  of  such  a  man  as  JVdshinyton.  No 
people  can  claim,  no  country  can  appropriate  him.  Tlie 
boon  of  Providence  to  the  human  race,  his  fame  is  eternity, 
and  his  residence  creation.  Though  it  was  the  defeat 
of  our  d7^ms,  and  the  disgrace  of  our  piolicy,  I  almost 
Uhs  the  convulsion  in  M'liich  he  had  his  origin.  If  the 
heavens  thiindercd,  and  the  earth  rdcked,  yet,  when  the 
storm  |)dsscfZ,  how  pu'^x  was  the  climate  that  it  cleared  ; 
how  hriglit,  in  the  brow  of  the  firmament,  was  the  pldnet 
which  it  revealed  to  us ! 

2.  In  the  production  of  Wdsldngton,  it  does  really 
appear  as  if  Nature  was  endeavoring  to  improve  upon 
herself,  and  tliat  all  the  virtues  of  the  ancient  world 
were  but  so  many  studies  preparatory  to  the  patriot  of 
the  new.  Individual  instances  no  doubt  there  wdre — 
splendid  exemplifications  of  some  single  qualification. 
Cffisar  was  7nkrciful ;  Scipio  was  continent  ;  Hannibal  was 
p)dtient ;  but  it  was  reserved  for  Washington  to  blend 
them  all  in  6ne,  and,  like  the  lovely  masterpiece  of  the 
Grecian  artist,  to  exhibit,  in  one  glow  of  associated 
beauty,  the  pride  of  every  mddel,  and  the  perfection  of 
every  master. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  329 

3.  As  a  general,  he  marshalled  the  2^^<^(sant  into  a  vet- 
eran, and  supplied  by  d/iscipline  the  absence  of  experience  ; 
as  a  statesman,  lie  enlarged  the  policy  of  the  cabinet 
into  the  most  comprehensive  system  of  general  advan- 
tage ;  and  such  was  the  wisdom  of  his  views,  and  the 
philosophy  of  his  cdicnsels,  that  to  the  soldier  and  the 
statesman,  he  almost  added  the  character  of  the  sage  ! 
A  conqueror,  he  was  untainted  with  the  crime  of  hlbod ; 
a  revolutionist,  he  was  free  from  any  stain  of  treason ; 
for  aggression  commenced  the  contest,  and  his  country 
called  him  to  the  command. 

4  Liberty  unsheathed  his  sword,  necessity  stained,  vic- 
tory returned  it.  If  he  had  paused  hire,  history  might 
have  doubted  what  station  to  assign  him  ;  whether  at 
the  head  of  her  citizens  or  her  soldiers,  her  Mroes  or  her 
patriots.  But  the  last  glorious  act  crowns  his  carder, 
and  banishes  all  hesitation.  Wlio,  like  Washington,  after 
having  emancipated  a  Mmisphcre,  resigned  its  crotvn, 
and  preferred  tlie  retirement  of  domestic  life  to  the 
adoration   of  a  land  he  might  be  almost  said  to   have 

Credted  ?  Phillips. 


22.     BUNKEE-HILL  MONUMENT. 

1.  The  Bunker-Hill  monum.ent  is  finished.  Here  it 
stands.  Fortunate  in  the  natural  eminence  on  which 
it  is  placed — higher,  Infinitely  higher,  in  its  objects  and 
purpose,  it  rises  over  the  kind,  and  over  the  sda ;  and 
visible,  at  their  homes,  to  three  hundred  thousand  citi- 
zens of  Massachusetts — it  stands,  a  memorial  of  the 
past,  and  a  monitor  to  the  present,  and  all  succeeding 
generations. 

2.  I  have  spoken  of  the  loftiness  of  its  purpose.  If 
it  had  been  without  any  other  design  than  the  creation 
of  a  work   of  art,  the  granite  of  which  it  is  composed 


330  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

would  have  slept  in  its  native  bed.  It  hds  a  purpose ; 
and  that  purpose  gives  it  character.  TJidt  purpose 
enrobes  it  with  dignity  and  moral  grandeur.  That  well- 
known  purpose  it  is,  which  causes  us  to  look  up  to  it  with 
a  feeling  of  awe.     It  is  itself  the  drator  of  this  occasion. 

3.  It  is  not  from  my  lips,  it  is  not  from  any  htiman 
lips,  that  that  strain  of  eloquence  is  this  day  to  flow, 
most  competent  to  move  and  excite  the  vast  multitudes 
around.  The  potent  speaker  stands  motionless  hcfure 
them.  It  is  a  plain  shdft.  It  bears  no  inscriptions, 
fronting  to  the  rising  siin,  from  which  the  future  anti- 
quarian shall  wipe  the  diist.  Nor  does  the  rising  sun 
cause  tones  of  miisic  to  issue  from  its  summit.  But 
at  the  rising  of  the  sun,  and  at  the  sUting  of  the  sun, 
in  the  blaze  of  ?io'ow.-day,  and  beneath  the  milder  efful- 
gence of  livnctr  light,  it  looks,  it  speaks,  it  acts,  to  the 
full  comprehension  of  every  American  mind,  and  the 
awakening  of  glowing  enthusiasm  in  every  American 
heart. 

4.  Its  silent,  but  awful  utterance  ;  its  deep  pathos,  as 
it  brings  to  our  contemplation  the  17th  of  June,  1775, 
and  the  consequences  which  have  resulted  to  us,  to  our 
country,  and  to  tlie  w(')rld,  from  the  events  of  that  day, 
and  wliich  we  know  must  continue  to  rain  influence  on 
the  destinies  of  mankind  to  the  end  of  time ;  the  eleva- 
tion with  which  it  raises  us  high  above  the  ordinary 
feelings  of  life — surpass  all  that  the  study  of  the  closet, 
or  even  the  inspiration  of  genius  can  produce. 

5.  To-day,  it  speaks  to  ils.  Its  fiiture  auditories  will 
be  through  successive  generations  of  mdn,  as  they  rise 
up  he/ure  it,  and  gather  rbund  it.  Its  speech  will  be  of 
pdtriotism  and  churage ;  of  civil  and  religious  hherty ; 
of  free  govcrnriient ;  of  tlie  moral  improvement  and  ele- 
vation of  mankind;  and  of  the  immortal  memory  of 
those  wh('),  with  heroic  devotion,  have  sacrificed  their 
lives  for  their  chuntry.  daniel  websteb. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  331 

23.   THE  BIRTHDAY   OF  WASHINGTON. 

1.  Tlie  birthday  of  the  "  Father  of  his  Country" !  May 
it  ever  be  freshly  remembered  by  American  hearts ! 
May  it  ever  re-awaken  in  them  a  filial  veneration  for 
his  memory ;  ever  rekindle  the  fires  of  patriotic  regard 
for  the  country  which  he  loved  so  well,  to  which  he 
gave  his  youthful  vigor  and  his  yoiithful  energy,  during 
the  perilous  period  of  the  early  Indian  warfare ;  to  which 
he  devoted  his  life  in  the  maturity  of  his  powers,  in  the 
field  ;  to  which  again  he  offered  the  counsels  of  his  wis- 
dom and  his  experience,  as  president  of  the  convention 
that  framed  our  Constitution;  which  he  guided  and 
directed  while  in  the  chair  of  state,  and  for  which  the 
last  prayer  of  his  earthly  supplication  was  offered  up, 
when  it  came  the  moment  for  him  so  well,  and  so 
grandly,  and  so  calmly,  to  die. 

2.  He  was  the  first  man  of  the  time  in  which  he  grew. 
His  memory  is  first  and  most  sacred  in  our  love,  and 
ever  hereafter,  till  the  last  drop  of  blood  shall  freeze  in 
the  last  American  heart,  his  name  shall  be  a  spell  of 
power  and  of  miglit. 

3.  Yes,  gentlemen,  there  is  one  personal,  one  vast 
felicity,  which  no  man  can  share  with  him.  It  was  the 
daily  beauty,  and  towering  and  matchless  glory  of  his 
life  which  enabled  him  to  create  his  country,  and  at  the 
same  time  secure  an  undying  love  and  regard  from 
the  whole  American  people.  "The  first  in  the  hearts 
of  his  countrymen!"  Yes,  first!  He  has  our  first  and 
most  fervent  love. 

4.  Undoubtedly  there  were  brave  and  wise  and  good 
men,  before  his  day,  in  every  colony.  But  the  Amer- 
ican nation,  as  a  nation,  I  do  not  reckon  to  have  begun 
before  1774.  And  the  first  love  of  that  Young  America 
was  Washington.  The  first  word  she  lisped  was  his 
name.     Her   earliest    breath    spoke    it.     It   still   is   her 


332  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

proud  ejaculation ;   and  it  will   be  the  last  gasp  of  her 
expiring  life! 

5.  Yes;  others  of  our  great  men  have  been  appre- 
ciated— many  admired  by  all ;  but  him  we  love ;  him  we 
all  love.  About  and  around  him  we  call  up  no  dissen- 
tient and  discordant  and  dissatisfied  elements — no  sec- 
tional prejudice  nor  bias — no  party,  no  creed,  no  dogma 
of  politics.  None  of  these  shall  assail  him.  Yes ;  when 
the  storm  of  battle  blows  darkest  and  rages  highest,  the 
memory  of  Washington  shall  nerve  every  American 
arm,  and  cheer  every  American  heart.  r^fus  choate. 


Y 


24.     THE   NATIONAL   CLOCK. 


1.  Every  nation  is  like  a  clbcJc,  the  forces  at  work 
within  carrying  forward  some  purpose  or  plan  of  Prov- 
idence with  patient  constancy;  but  when  the  season 
comes  that  the  sixtieth  rmmtte  is  diie,  and  a  'iuiu  hdur 
must  be  sounded,  perhaps  not  for  the  nation  alone,  but 
for  the  world,  th^n — tlixn  the  clock  strikes,  and  it  may 
be  witli  a  force  and  resonance  that  startles  and  inspires 
the  race. 

2.  The  first  American  revolution  was  such  a  jphriod — 
thdt  was  the  glory  of  it.  The  English  Government  had 
oppressed  our  fathers.  It  tried  to  break  their  spirit. 
For  several  ydars  it  was  a  dark  time,  like  the  hours 
before  the  striking  of  the  dawn. 

3.  But  the  Colonial  time-piece  kept  ticlcing,  ticking  to 
the  pressure  of  the  English  Government,  the  giant 
wheels  playing  calmly  till  about  1775',  when  there  was 
a  strange  stir  and  Inizz  within  the  ckse.  The  people 
could  not  bear  any  mbre  of  it.  But  the  sixtieth  nnnute 
came,  and  the  clock  struck. 

4.  The  lodrld  h^ard — the  battle  of  Lexington — one ;  the 
Declaration  of  Independence — tivb  ;  the  surrender  of  Bur- 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  333 

gdyne — three;   the   siege   of  Yorktoimi—four;   the  Treaty 
of  Fdris—five;  the  inauguration  of  Washington — six. 

5.   And  then  it  was  sunrise  of  the  nevj  day,  of  which 
we  have  seen  yet  only  the  glorious  forenoon. 

Thomas  Stare  King. 


25.     FEEE   SCHOOLS. 

1.  It  is  impossible  for  us  adequately  to  conceive  the 
boldness  of  the  measure  which  aimed  at  universal  edu- 
cation through  the  establishment  of  Free  Schools.  As 
a  fact,  it  had  no  precedent  in  the  world's  history ;  and, 
as  a  theory,  it  could  have  been  refuted  and  silenced  by 
a  more  formidable  array  of  argument  and  experience 
than  was  ever  marshaled  against  any  other  institution 
of  human  origin. 

2.  But  time  has  ratified  its  soundness.  Two  centuries 
of  successful  operation  now  proclaim  it  to  be  as  wise 
as  it  was  courageous,  and  as  beneficent  as  it  was  disin- 
terested. Every  community  in  the  civilized  world  awards 
it  the  meed  of  praise,  and  States  at  home,  and  nations 
abroad,  in  the  order  of  their  intelligence,  are  copying 
the  bright  examjde. 

3.  What  we  call  the  enlightened  nations  of  Christen- 
dom are  approaching,  by  slow  degrees,  to  the  moral 
elevation  which  our  ancestors  reached  at  a  single  bound ; 
and  the  tardy  convictions  of  the  one  have  been  assimi- 
lating, through  a  period  of  two  centuries,  to  the  intuitions 
of  tlie  other. 

4.  The  establishment  of  Free  Schools  was  one  of  those 
grand  mental  and  moral  experiments  whose  effects  could 
not  be  developed  and  made  manifest  in  a  single  genera- 
tion. But  now,  according  to  the  manner  in  which  human 
life  is  computed,  we  are  the  sixth  generation  from  its 
founders ;  and  have  we  not  reason  to  be  grateful,  both 
to    God    and    man,  for   its   unnumbered   blessings  ?     The 


334  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

sincerity  of  our  gratitude  must  be  tested  by  our  efforts 
to  perpetuate  and  to  improve  what  they  established. 
The  gratitude  of  the  lips  only  is  an  unholy  offering. 

Horace  Mahn. 


26.     THE   BALLOT. 

1.  Consider,  for  a  moment,  what  it  is  to  cast  a  vote. 
It  is  the  token  of  inestimahlc  privileges,  and  involves 
the  responsibilities  of  an  hereditary  trust.  It  has  passed 
into  your  hands  as  a  right,  reaped  from  fields  of  suffer- 
ing and  blood. 

2.  The  grandeur  of  history  is  represented  in  your  act. 
Men  have  wrought  with  pen  and  tdngue,  and  pined  in 
dungeons,  and  died  on  scaffolds,  that  you  might  obtain 
this  symbol  of  freedom,  and  enjoy  this  consciousness  of 
a  sacred  individuality.  To  tlie  ballot  have  been  trans- 
mitted, as  it  wdre,  the  dignity  of  the  sceptre  and  the 
potency  of  the  sioord. 

3.  And  tluit  which  is  so  potent  as  a  right,  is  also 
pregnant  as  a  dilty ;  a  duty  for  the  present  and  for  the 
future.  If  you  ivill,  that  folded  leaf  becomes  a  tdngue 
of  justice,  a  voice  of  order,  a  force  of  imperial  law — 
securing  rights,  abolishing  abuses,  erecting  new  institu- 
tions of  truth  and  love.  And,  however  you  will,  it  is 
the  expression  of  a  solemn  responsihllity,  the  exercise  of 
an  immeasurable  power  for  good  or  for  dvil,  now  and 
hereafter. 

4.  It  is  the  medium  through  which  you  net  upon 
your  country — tlie  organic  nerve  which  incorporates  y6u. 
with  its  life  and  wUfare.  There  is  no  agent  with  which 
the  possibilities  of  the  republic  are  more  intimately  in- 
vdlved,  none  upon  which  we  can  fall  back  with  more 
confidence  than  the  hdllot-hox.  e.  h.  chapin. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  335 

27.     EDUCATIONAL    POWER. 

1.  The  true  teacher  must  have  the  faith  of  martyrs. 
In  the  limited  horizon  of  the  school-room,  the  teacher 
can  dimly  see  only  the  beginning  of  the  effects  of  his 
training  upon  his  pupils.  The  solid  and  lasting  results, 
the  building  up  of  character,  the  creative  power  of 
motives,  are  made  evident  only  in  the  wider  circle  of 
the  world,  and  at  the  end  of  a  life-time.  Hence  the 
power  of  the  teacher,  like  that  of  the  silent  and  invis- 
ible forces  of  nature,  is  only  feelily  realized. 

2.  I  once  visited,  in  the  Sierra,  a  quartz  mine  of 
fabulous  richness.  Deep  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth, 
swarthy  miners  were  blasting  out  tlie  gold-bearing  rock ; 
above,  the  powerful  mill  was  crushing  the  quartz  with 
its  iron  teeth.  In  the  office,  piles  of  yellow  bars,  ready 
to  be  sent  to  the  mint  to  be  poured  into  the  channels 
of  trade,  showed  the  immediate  returns  of  well-directed 
labor  and  wisely  invested  capital.  An  hour  later,  I 
stepped  into  a  public  school-house  not  half  a  mile  distant, 
where  fifty  children  were  conning  their  lessons.  What 
does  the  school  yield,  I  asked  myself,  on  the  invest- 
ment of  money  by  the  State  ?  The  returns  of  the  mine 
were  made  in  solid  bullion ;  the  school  returns  were  all 
far  in  the  unknown  future. 

3.  I  crossed  the  continent  from  the  Pacific  to  the 
Atlantic  on  the  grandest  commercial  highway  ever  built, 
and  all  along,  towns,  villages,  cities,  mines,  farms,  machine 
shops,  manufactories,  and  converging  roads  bore  evidence 
of  the  mighty  physical  forces  of  the  nation ;  and  when  I 
entered  a  meeting  of  the  National  Educational  Association 
in  a  Boston  school-house,  where  two  hundred  thouirlitful 
men  and  women  were  assembled,  it  seemed,  after  wit- 
nessing the  gigantic  play  of  industrial  and  commercial 
forces,  that  the  school-masters  and  school-mistresses  were 
lookers-on  and  idlers  in  the  bustling  life  around. 


336  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

4.  But  when,  in  tlie  mild  summer  evening,  I  walked 
nuder  the  elms  of  Boston  Common  and  reflected  that 
independence  was  once  only  a  dim  idea  in  the  minds  of 
a  few  leading  patriots ;  that  the  engine  which  had  whirled 
me  over  the  iron  track,  three  thousand  miles  in  seven 
days,  was  once  only  an  idea  in  the  Lrain  of  an  enthu- 
siast ;  that  the  telegraph  wires,  radiating  like  nerves 
from  the  centers  of  civilization,  were  created  by  the  in- 
ventive genius  of  an  educated  thinker,  I  realized  that 
there  is  a  silent  power,  mightier  than  all  mechanical 
forces,  which  preserves,  directs,  and  controls  the  material 
prosperity  of  a  great  nation. 

5.  I  go  out  into  the  streets  of  the  great  commercial 
center  of  our  country.  I  hear  everywhere  the  hum  of 
industry,  and  see  around  the  stir  of  business.  I  see  the 
steamships  plying  like  gigantic  shuttles  to  weave  a  net- 
work of  commercial  relations  between  the  new  world 
and  the  old.  I  see  the  smoke  of  manufactories  where 
skillful  artisans  are  constructing  tlie  marvelous  produc- 
tions of  inventive  genius.  The  banks  are  open ;  keen 
capitalists  are  on  'Change  ;  and  the  full  tide  of  human- 
ity is  pulsating  through  every  artery  of  the  town.  The 
results  of  business  are  solid  and  tangible.  I  step  into 
the  New  York  Normal  College  where  a  thousand  young 
women  are  fitting  for  the  profession  of  teaching,  and  if 
asked  for  the  tangible  results  of  the  educational  invest- 
ment, the  evidences  are  not  at  hand. 

6.  But  when  I  pause  to  consider  that  intelligence  is  the 
motive  power  of  trade ;  that  the  city  with  its  banks,  ware- 
houses, churches,  residences,  and  manufactories,  is  the 
product  of  skilled  labor;  that  the  steamship  is  navigated 
by  means  of  science,  and  is  built  as  a  triumph  of  art :  that 
science  surveyed  the  railroad  lines,  and  that  skill  runs 
the  trains  freighted  with  the  products  of  industry  and 
art ;  then  I  begin  to  perceive  some  connection  between 
educational  forces  and  the  material  results  of  civilization. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  337 

28.     SCHOOLS   AND   TEACHERS. 

1.  Looking  into  the  near  future,  I  see  the  aisles  of 
the  school-room  widen  into  the  broad  streets  of  the  city. 
The  boys  are  business  men.  One  commands  the  steam- 
ship, one  operates  the  telegraph,  and  another  runs  an  en- 
gine ;  one  is  a  railroad  director,  and  another  rides  over 
the  road  to  take  his  seat  in  the  senate  of  the  L^nited 
States.  One  works  a  gold  mine,  another  an  iron  mine, 
and  another  a  coal  mine ;  one  is  a  merchant,  one  a  banker, 
one  a  Wall-street  speculator;  one  is  a  farmer  in  the 
west,  another  a  manufacturer  in  the  east;  one  is  a  mer- 
chant, another  a  mechanic,  and  a  third  is  an  inventor. 

2.  The  girls  have  become  women.  Some  preside  as 
queens  in  home  circles,  some  are  teachers,  some  are 
writers,  some  are  artists,  and  others  are  skilled  in 
household  work.  I  realize  that  the  life  of  a  nation  is 
made  up  of  mothers  that  guard  the  homes  of  the  men 
who  drive  the  plow,  build  the  ships,  run  the  mills,  work 
the  mines,  construct  machinery,  print  the  papers,  shoulder 
the  musket,  and  cast  the  ballots ;  and  it  is  for  all  these 
that  the  public  schools  have  done  and  are  now  doing 
their  beneficent  work. 

3.  When  I  ponder  over  the  far-reaching  influence  of 
the  teacher  and  the  school,  I  comprehend,  in  some 
measure,  the  relation  to  our  national  w^ell-being,  of  our 
American  system  of  free  public  schools — the  best,  not- 
withstanding its  defects  and  shortcomings,  that  the 
world  has  ever  known.  It  is  the  duty  of  every  teacher 
to  strive  with  all  his  heart,  and  with  all  his  soul,  and 
with  all  his  might,  to  perfect  a  system  of  education 
which  shall  train  a  race  of  men  and  women  in  the  next 
generation,  that  shall  inherit,  with  the  boundless  re- 
sources of  our  favored  land,  something  of  the  energy, 
enterprise,  talent,  and   character  of  the  sturdy  pioneers 

who  settled  and  subdued  the  wilderness. 

22 


338  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

4.  Only  timid  and  despairing  souls  are  frightened  into 
the  belief  that  the  foundations  of  society  are  breaking 
up  on  account  of  over-education  in  the  common  schools. 
Neither  representatives  of  the  Caste  of  Capital  nor  the 
Caste  of  Culture  can  convince  the  American  people  that 
vice,  crime,  idleness,  poverty,  and  social  discontent  are 
the  necessary  result  of  an  elementary  education  among 
the  workers  of  society.  Ko  demagogue,  with  specious 
statements,  can  lead  any  considerable  number  of  citizens 
to  regard  the  school-master  as  a  public  enemy. 

5.  The  free  common  school  is  the  Plymouth  Eock  of 
American  liberty.  If  the  system  of  free  schools,  as  now 
conducted  and  organized,  fails  to  meet  the  needs  of 
social  progress,  not  the  extent,  but  the  hind  and  quality, 
of  education  must  be  changed.  Neither  hioh  school  nor 
university  must  be  lopped  off  from  our  free-school  system. 

6.  It  is  only  through  skilled  labor,  wisely  and  intelli- 
gently directed,  that  a  people  can  become  or  remain 
permanently  prosperous  and  happy ;  it  is  only  by  means 
of  intelligent  and  educated  voters  that  liberty  can  be 
preserved ;  and  it  is  only  by  means  of  a  more  complete 
education  among  all  classes  that  humanity  can  rise  to 
a  higher  type  of  social  evolution.  There  is  no  slavery 
so  oppressive  as  that  of  ignorance. 


29.    ELEMENTS   OF   THE  AMEEICAN 
GOVERNMENT. 

1.  The  English  colonists  in  America,  generally  speak- 
ing, were  men  who  were  seeking  new  homes  in  a  new 
world.  They  brought  with  them  their  families  and  all 
that  was  most  dear  to  them.  Many  of  them  were  edu- 
cated men,  and  all  possessed  their  full  share,  according 
to  their  social  condition,  of  knowledge  and  attainments 
of  that  a^e. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  339 

2.  The  distinctive  characteristic  of  their  settlement  is 
the  introduction  of  the  civilization  of  Europe  into  a 
wilderness,  without  bringing  with  it  the  political  insti- 
tutions of  Europe.  The  arts,  sciences,  and  literature  of 
England  came  over  with  the  settlers.  That  great  por- 
tion of  the  common  law  which  regulates  the  social  and 
personal  relations  and  conduct  of  men,  came  also. 

3.  The  jury  came ;  the  habeas  corpus  came ;  the  tes- 
tamentary power  came ;  and  the  law  of  inheritance  and 
descent  came  also,  except  that  part  of  it  which  recog- 
nizes the  rights  of  primogeniture,  which  either  did  not 
come  at  all,  or  soon  gave  way  to  the  rule  of  equal  par- 
tition of  estates  among  children. 

4.  But  the  monarchy  did  not  come,  nor  the  aristocracy, 
nor  the  Church,  as  an  estate  of  the  realm.  Political 
institutions  were  to  be  framed  anew,  such  as  should  be 
adapted  to  the  state  of  things.  But  it  could  not  be 
doubtful  what  should  be  the  nature  and  character  of 
these  institutions.  A  general  social  equality  prevailed 
among  the  settlers,  and  an  equality  of  political  rights 
seemed  the  natural,  if  not  the  necessary  consequence. 

Dahiel  Webster. 


340  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

SECTION   III. 
RECITATIONS  AND  BEADINGS :    POETRY. 

1.     THE   CROWDED   STREET. 

1.  Let  me  move  slowly  |  through  the  street, 

Filled  I  with  an  ever-shifting  train, 
Amid  the  sound  |  of  steps  that  beat  | 

The  murmuring  vjdlks  \  like  autumn  rain. 

2.  How  fast  I  the  flitting  figures  \  come ! 

The  mild,  the  fidrce,  the  stbny  face ; 
Some  1  bright  with  thoughtless  smiles,  and  some  \ 
Where  secret  tears  \  have  left  their  trace. 

3.  They  pass — to  toil,  to  strife,  to  rht ; 

To  hdlls  I  in  which  the  feast  \  is  spread ; 
To  chambers  |  wliere  the  funeral  guest  | 
In  silence  |  sits  |  beside  the  dead ! 

4.  And  some  \  to  happy  hbmes  repair, 

Where  children  pressing  cheek  to  cheek, 
With  mute  caresses  \  shall  declare  j 
The  tSnderness  |  they  cannot  spiah. 

5.  And  s6me,  yvho  walk  in  calmness  hdre. 

Shall  shudder  when  they  reach  the  door  ) 
Where  one  \  who  made  their  dwelling  ddar, 
Its  flower,  its  light,  is  seen  no  more. 

6.  Youth,  with  pale  cheek  ]  and  slender  frame, 

And  dreams  of  greatness  |  in  tliine  eye ! 
Goest  thou  to  build  an  early  name, 
Or  early  |  in  tlie  task  |  to  die  ? 

7.  Keen  son  of  tr;idc,  with  eager  brow ! 

Who  I  is  now  fluttering  |  in  thy  sn^re  ? 
Thy  golden  fortunes,  tower  they  now, 
Or  melt  |  the  glittering  spires  [  in  Mr  ? 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  341 

8.  Who  I  of  this  crowd  |  to-night  |  shall  tread  | 

The  dance  |  till  daylight  gleam  again  ? 
Who  I  sorrow  o'er  the  untimely  dead  ? 
Who  I  writhe  |  in  throes  |  of  mortal  pain  ? 

9.  Sdme  |  famine-struck,  shall  think  how  long  | 

The  cold  |  dark  hours,  how  slow  |  the  light; 
And  some,  who  flaunt  amid  the  throng, 
Shall  hide  |  in  dens  of  shhme  \  to-night. 

10.  Each,  where  his  tasks  or  pleasures  call, 

They  pass,  and  heed  each  other  not. 
There  is  \  who  heeds,  who  holds  them  all, 
In  His  large  Idvc  \  and  boundless  thbught. 

11.  These  struggling  tides  |  of  life  [  that  seem  | 

In  wayward,  aimless  course  to  tdnd, 
Are  Eddies  |  of  the  mighty  stream  | 
That  rdlls  \  to  its  appointed  end.  bryant. 


2.     THE   BUILDERS. 

All  I  are  architects  of  FMe, 

Working  |  in  these  walls  of  Time ; 

S6me  I  with  massive  deeds  |  and  great, 
Some  I  with  ornaments  |  of  rhyme. 

Nothing  I  useless  is  |  or  Ibiu ; 

Each  thing  |  in  its  place  |  is  best; 
And  what  seems  \  but  idle  shdtv  \ 

Strengthens  |  and  supports  the  rfest. 

For  the  structure  \  that  we  raise, 
Time  \  is  with  materials  |  filled ; 

Our  to-days  |  and  yesterdays  | 
Are  the  hldcks  \  with  which  we  hixild. 

Truly  shape  |  and  fashion  thhe ; 
Leave  no  yawning  ^Aps  [  between ; 


342  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

ThinJc  not,  because  no  man  s^es, 
Such  things  j  will  remain  unskn. 

5.  In  the  elder  days  |  of  art, 

Builders  wrought  |  with  greatest  care  [ 
Each  minute  ]  and  unseen  part; 
For  the  gods  are  hvcryv:here. 

6.  Let  us  do  our  work  |  as  loell. 

Both  the  linseen  \  and  the  seen; 
Make  the  house,  where  gods  \  may  dwell, 
Beautiful,  entire,  and  clfean. 

7.  Else  our  lives  |  are  incomplete. 

Standing  |  in  these  walls  of  Time; 
Broken  stairways,  where  tlie  feet  | 
Stumble  \  as  they  seek  to  climb. 

8.  Build  to-day,  then,  strong  and  sure,  . 

With  a  firm  |  and  ample  hdse^  ' 

And  I  ascending  and  secure  | 
Shall  to-morrow  \  find  its  pl^ce. 

9.  Thus  alone  |  can  we  attain  | 

To  those  turrets,  where  the  eye  | 
Sees  the  world  |  as  one  vast  plain, 
And  one  boundless  reach  |  of  sky. 


3.     PSALM   OF   LIFE. 

1.  Tell  me  not  \  in  mournful  numbers, 

Life  I  is  but  an  empty  dream; 
For  the  soul  |  is  dhid  \  that  slumbers, 
And  things  |  arc  not  |  what  they  skm. 

2.  Life  I  is  real !     Life  |  is  Earnest ! 

And  the  grave  |  is  nbt  its  goal ; 
Dust  I  thou  art,  to  dust  returnest. 
Was  not  spoken  |  of  the  soul. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  343 

3.  Not  enjoyment,  and  not  sbrrow, 

Is  our  destined  end  or  way; 
But  to  lid  that  each  to-morrow  | 
Finds  us  farther  |  than  to-day. 

4.  Art  I  is  l(5ng,  and  Time  |  is  flfeeting, 

And  our  hearts,  though  stout  and  brave, 
Still,  like  muffled  drums,  are  beating  j 
Funeral  marches  |  to  the  grave. 

5.  In  the  world's  broad  field  of  battle, 

In  the  bivouac  of  Life, 
Be  not  like  dumb,  driven  cattle ;  — 
Be  a  hero  \  in  the  strife  I 

6.  Trust  no  Future,  howe'er  pleasant  ! 

Let  the  dead  Past  |  hury  its  dead  ! 
Act — act  in  the  living  Present  I 
Heart  tvithin,  and  God  ]  overhead. 

7.  Lives  of  great  men  |  all  remind  us  | 

We  can  make  our  lives  |  sublime. 
And,  departing,  leave  behind  us  | 
Foot-priiits  |  on  the  sands  of  time. 

8.  Foot-prints,  that  perhaps  another, 

Sailing  o'er  life's  solemn  main — 
A  forlorn  |  and  shipwrecked  brother — 
Seeing,  shall  take  heart  again. 

9.  Let  us,  then,  be  ilp  and  doing, 

With  a  heart  |  for  any  fate ; 
Still  achieving,  still  2^UTSiling, 

Learn   to   Idhor  \  and   to   wtlit.  Longfellow, 


344  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

4.     APOSTEOPHE   TO   THE   OCEAN. 

[This  poem  is  to   be  read  with  slow  movement,  median  stress,  expul- 
sive orotund  quality,  and  strona  forced 

1. 

There  is  a  'pleasure  \  in  tlie  pathless  woods, 
There  is  a  rwpture  \  ou  the  lonely  shore, 

There  is  society,  where  none  intrudes, 
By  the  deep  sea,  and  music  in  its  roar. 

I  love  not  man  the  less  \  but  nature  |  more, 
From  these  our  interviews,  in  which  1  steal  | 

From  all  I  may  be,  or  have  been  before, 
To  mingle  witli  the  universe,  and  feel  | 

What  I  can  ne'er  exprlss,  yet  can  not  all  conceal. 


Pioll  on,  thou  deep  and  dark  blue  ocean,  rbll ! 
Ten  tlwusand  fleets  J  sweep  over  thee  in  v^in. 

Man  I  marks  the  darth  with  rixin — his  control  j 
Stops  with  the  shore; — upon  the  watery  ^:)Mm  | 

The  lurecks  \  are  all  thy  deed,  nor  doth  remain  | 
A  shadow  of  mtnis  rdvage,  save  his  oion, 

When,  for  a  moment,  like  a  drop  of  rdin. 
He  sinks  into  thy  depths  ]  with  bubbling  groan — 

Without  a  grave,  unknclled,  uncoffined,  and  unknown. 


Tlie  drrnaments  \  which  thunderstrike  the  walls  | 
Of  rock-huilt  cities,  bidding  ndtions  quake,  | 

And  mSnarchs  \  tremble  in  their  capitals ; 
The  oak  leviathan,  whose  huge  rihs  make  [ 

Tlieir  clay  creator  |  the  vain  title  take  | 
Of  lord  of  thee,  and  arbiter  of  wdr — 

Th^se  I  are  thy  ibys,  and,  as  the  snowy  fldke, 
They  melt  into  thy  yeast  of  vjdves,  which  mar 

Alike  I  the  Armada's  pride,  or  spoils  of  Trafalghr. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  345 

4. 

Thy  shores  are  hnpircs,  changed  in  all  save  thle ; — 
Assyria,  Grdece,  Eome,  Cartilage,  whdit  are  thhy? 

Thy  waters  |  washed  them  power  |  while  they  were  /ree, 
And  many  a  tyrant  \  since ;  their  shores  obey  | 

The  sti'dngcr,  slave,  or  savage ;  their  decay  | 
Has  dried  up  realms  to  deserts :  not  so  |  thOu ; 

UnchdngeaUe  \  save  to  thy  wild  waves'  pliiy, 
Time  \  writes  no  tvrlnJde  |  on  thine  azure  brow : 

Such  as  creation's  ddwn  beJield,  thou  rollest  noio. 

5. 

Thou  glorious  mirror,  where  the  Almighty's  form  | 
Glasses  itself  in  temjoests ;  in  all  t%me, 

Calm  or  convulsed — in  breeze,  or  gale,  or  storm — 
Icing  the  p6le,  or  in  the  torrid  clime  | 

Bark  heaving ;  boundless,  endless,  and  sublime  ! 
The  image  of  eternity — the  throne  \ 

Of  the  Invisible;  even  from  out  thy  shme  \ 
The  monsters  of  the  deep  \  are  made;   each  zone  | 

Obeys  thee;  thou  goest  forth,  dread,  fathomless,  albne. 


And  I  have  Ibved  thee,  ocean !  and  my  joy  | 
Of  youthful  sports  |  was  on  thy  breast  to  be 

Borne,  like  thy  bubbles,  onward;  from  a  bby  \ 
I  wantoned  witli  thy  breakers — they  |  to  me  | 

Were  a  delight ;  and,  if  the  freshening  sda  | 
Made  them  a  terror,  't  was  a  pleasing  fdar ; 

For  I  was,  as  it  were,  a  child  of  thee, 
And  trusted  to  tliy  billows  \fdr  and  nkir, 

And  laid  my  hand  upon  thy  mane — as  do  I  hhe. 

Byron. 


346  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

5.     BATTLE   OF  WATEELOO. 

1. 

There  was  a  sound  of  revelry  by  niglit, 

And  Belgium's  cdpital  had  gathered  then 
Her  hecmty  and  her  chivalry,  and  bright 

The  lamps  shone  o'er  fair  ivdmen  and  hrdve  men; 
A  tlwusaiid  hearts  beat  happily;  and  when 

Music  arose  with  its  volujjtuoiis  swell, 
Soft  eyes  looked  love  to  eyes  which  spake  again, 

And  all  went  riUrry  as  a  marriage-\)Q\\ ; — 
But  hush  !  hark  !  a  deep  sdund  strikes  like  a  rising  knell  ! 

2. 

Did  ye  not  Mar  it  ? — Nb  ;  't  was  but  the  wind. 

Or  the  cdr  rattling  o'er  the  stony  strfeet: 
On  with  the  dance  !  let  joy  be  unconf  ined ; 

No  sleep  till  morn,  when  youth  and  pleasure  meet 
To  chase  the  glowing  hours  with  flying  fdet 

But  hark  ! — that  heavy  sound  breaks  in  once  more. 
As  if  the  clhuds  its  echo  would  repeat; 

And  nearer,  clearer,  deadlier  than  before ! 
Arm  !  akm  !  it  is — it  is — the  cannons  opening  roar ! 

3. 
Ah  !  then  and  there  was  hurrying  to  and  fro, 

And  gathering  tears,  and  tremblings  of  distress, 
And  cheeks  all  pule,  which  but  an  hour  ago 

Blushed  at  the  praise  of  their  own  Ibvclincss ; 
And  there  were  sudden  ^mrtings,  such  as  press 

Tlie  life  from  out  young  hearts,  and  choking  slglis 
Which  ne'er  might  be  repeated;  who  could  guess 

If  ever  more  should  meet  those  mutual  eyes, 
Since  upon  night  so  sweet  such  awful  mbrn  could  rise  ? 

4. 

And  there  was  mounting  in  hot  h^ste ;  the  stSed, 
The  mustering  squadron,  and  the  clattering  car, 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  347 

Went  pouring  forward  with  impetuous  speed, 
And  swiftly  forming  in  the  ranks  of  war; 
And  the  day  thunder  'pcal  on  'pcal  afar ; 

And  near,  the  beat  of  the  aldrming  drum 
Roused  up  the  soldier  ere  the  morning  stcir ; 
While  thronged  the  citizens  with  terror  dumb, 
Or  whispering  with  white  lips  :   "  The  fbe  !     They  come  ! 
they  chine  !  " 

5. 
And  Ardennes  waves  above  them  her  green  Idaves, 

Dewy  with  nature's  tdar-drops,  as  they  pass, 
Grieving,  if  aught  inanimate  e'er  gridves. 

Over  the  unreturning  hrtbve — alas ! — 
Ere  evening  to  be  trodden  jike  the  grccss, 

Which  now  beneath  them,  but  above  shall  grow 
In  its  nlxt  verdure,  when  this  fiery  mass 

Of  living  vcilor,  rolling  on  the  fde, 
And  burning  with  high  hdpe,  shall  moulder  cold  and  low 

6. 
Last  nSon  beheld  them  full  of  lusty  life; 

Last  eve  in  BeaiXty's  circle  ijroiidly  ghy ; 
The  midnight  brought  the  signal-sound  of  strife; 

The  morn,  the  marshaling  in  cirnis — the  day, 
Battle's  inagnificently  stern  arrhy  ! 

The  thunder-clouds  close  b'er  it,  which,  when  rdnt, 
The  earth  is  covered  thick  with  other  clay — 

Which  her  own  clay  shall  cover,  heaped  and  p^nt, 
Eider  and  horse — friend,  foe — in  one  red  burial  blent. 

Byron's  Childe  Harold. 


6.     SANTA   riLOMENA. 

This  poem  was  •written  in  honor  of  Florence  Nightingale,  an  Eng- 
lish lady,  distinguished  for  her  philanthropy,  and  for  her  devotion 
to  the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  in  the  Crimean  war.  "Filomena" 
is   the    Latin   for    "Nightingale."     There  is  a  Saint  Filomena,   who  is 


348  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

represented  as  floating  clown  from  heaven  attended  by  two  angels 
bearing  the  lily,  palm,  and  javelin,  and  beneath,  in  the  foreground, 
the  sick  and  maimed,  who  are  healed  by  her  intercession. 

1.  Whene'er  a  noble  deed  |  is  wrought, 
Whene'er  is  spoke  |  a  noble  thought, 

Our  hearts,  in  glad  surprise, 
To  higher  levels  \  rise. 

2.  The  tidal  wave  |  of  deeper  souls  | 
Into  our  inmost  being  |  rolls. 

And  lifts  us  ]  unawares  | 
Out  of  all  meaner  cares. 

3.  Honor  to  those  |  whose  words  and  deeds  | 
Thus  help  us  |  in  our  daily  n^eds. 

And  I  by  their  overflow  | 
Eaise  us  |  from  what  is  16w ! 

4.  Thus  thought  I,  as  by  night  T  rdad  | 
Of  the  great  army  |  of  the  ddad, 

The  trenches  |  cold  and  damp; 
The  starved  |  and  frozen  camp ; 

5.  The  wounded  [  from  the  battle  plain, 
In  dreary  hospitals  of  pain — 

The  cheerless  corridors, 
The  cold  ]  and  stony  floors. 

6.  L6 !  in  tliat  house  of  misery  | 
A  lady  |  with  a  lamp  |  I  see  | 

Pass  through  the  glimmering  gloom. 
And  flit  I  from  room  to  rc)om. 

7.  And  slow  I  as  in  a  dream  of  bliss. 
The  speechless  sufferer  |  turns  to  kiss  | 

Her  shadow,  as  it  falls  | 
Upon  the  darkening  w^lls. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  349 

8.  As  if  a  door  in  heaven  |  should  be  | 
Opened  |  and  then  closed  suddenly, 

The  vision  |  came  and  wdnt, 
The  light  shone  |  and  was  spfent. 

9.  On  England's  annals,  the  long 
Hereafter  |  of  her  speech  and  song, 

That  light  |  its  rays  |  shall  cast  | 
From  portals  |  of  the  past. 

10.  A  Lady  with  a  Lamp  |  shall  stand  | 
In  the  great  history  of  the  land, 

A  noble  type  of  good. 
Heroic  womanhood. 

11.  Nor  even  shall  be  wanting  here  | 
The  palm,  the  lily,  and  the  sp^ar, 

The  symbols  |  that  of  yore  | 

Santa   Filomena   bore.  Longfellow. 


7.    THE  DEATH   STEUGGLE. 

[An  example  of  animated  and  impassioned  description,  characterized 
by  fast  movement  and  radical  stress.] 

"Now  yield  thee,  or,  by  Him  who  made 
The  world,  thy  hcdrfs  blood  dyes  my  blade ! " 
"  Thy  threats,  thy  mercy  I  defy  ! 
Let  recreant  yield,  who  fears  to  die,r 
— Like  adder  darting  from  his  coil. 
Like  wolf  \hsXj  dashes  through  the  toil, 
Like  mountain-cat  who  guards  her  young, 
Full  at  Fitz-James's  throat  he  sprung; 
Eecdived,  but  recked  not  of  a  wound, 
And  locked  his  arms  his  foeman  round. — 
Now,  gallant  Saxon,  hold  thine  own ! 
No  maidens  arm  is  round  thee  thrown! 


350  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

That  desperate  grasp  thy  frame  might  fdel 

Through  bars  of  brass  and  triple  steel ! — 

They  tug,  they  strain  !  down,  down,  they  go, 

The  Gael  above,  Fitz-James  below. 

The  Chieftain's  gripe  his  throat  compressed; 

His  knee  was  planted  in  his  breast; 

His  clotted  locks  he  backward  threw, 

Across  his  brow  his  hand  he  drdw, 

From  blood  and  mist  to  clear  his  sight, 

Then  gleamed  aloft  his  dagger  bright! 

— But  hate  and  fury  ill  supplied 

The  stream  of  life's  exhausted  tide ; 

And  all  too  late  the  advantage  came. 

To  turn  the  odds  of  deadly  game ; 

For,  while  the  dagger  gleamed  on  high, 

Eeeled  s6ul  and  seTise,  reeled  brain  and  eye. 

Down  came  the  blow !  but  in  the  heath 

The  erring  hldde  found  bloodless  sheath. 

The  struggling  foe  may  now  unclasp 

The  fainting  Chief's  relaxing  grasp ; 

Unwounded  from  the  dreadful  close. 

But  breathless  all,  Fitz-James  arose.  sco-rr. 


8.     SANDALPHOK 

1.  Have  you  read  in  the  Talmud  of  old. 
In  the  Legends  the  llabbins  have  told 

Of  the  limitless  realms  of  the  air; 
Have  you  read  it — tlie  marvelous  story 
Of  Sandal phon,  the  Angel  of  Glory, 

Sandalphon,  the  Angel  of  Prayer  ? 

2.  How,  erect,  at  the  outermost  gates 
Of  the  City  Celestial  he  waits. 

With  his  feet  on  the  ladder  of  light, 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  351 

That,  crowded  with  angels  unnumbered, 
By  Jacob  was  seen,  as  he  slumbered 
Alone  in  the  desert  at  night  ? 

3.  The  Angels  of  Wind  and  of  Fire 
Chant  only  one  hymn,  and  expire 

With  the  song's  irresistible  strfess — 
Expire  in  their  rapture  and  wonder, 
As  harp-strings  are  broken  asunder 

By  music  they  throb  to  express. 

4.  But  serene  in  the  rapturous  throng, 
Unmoved  by  the  rush  of  the  song, 

Witli  eyes  unimpassioned  and  slow,  ^ 
Among  the  dead  angels,  the  deathless 
Sandalphon  stands  Ustening,  breathless, 

To  sounds  that  ascend  from  below ; — 

5.  From  the  spirits  on  earth  that  adore. 
From  the  souls  that  entreat  and  implore 

In  the  fervor  and  passion  of  prayer; 
From  the  hearts  that  are  broken  with  losses, 
And  weary  with  dragging  the  crosses 

Too  heavy  for  mortals  to  bear. 

6.  And  he  gathers  the  prayers  as  he  stands, 
And  they  change  into  flowers  in  his  hands, 

Into  garlands  of  purple  and  red; 
And  beneath  the  great  arch  of  the  portal, 
Through  the  streets  of  the  City  Immortal 

Is  wafted  the  fragrance  they  shed. 

7.  It  is  but  a  legend  I  know, 
A  fable,  a  phantom,  a  show, 

Of  the  ancient  Rabbinical  lore ; 
Yet  the  old  mediaeval  tradition. 
The  beautiful,  strange  superstition. 

But  haunts  me  and  holds  me  the  more. 


352  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

8.  When  I  look  from  my  window  at  night, 
And  the  welkin  above  is  all  white, 

All  throbbing  and  panting  with  stars, 
Among  them,  majestic,  is  standing 
Sandalphon,  the  angel,  expanding 

His  pinions  in  nebulous  bars. 

9.  And  the  legend,  I  fdel,  is  a  part 

Of  the  hunger  and  thirst  of  the  lieart — 

The  frdnzy  and  fire  of  the  brain. 
That  grasps  at  the  fruitage  forbidden. 
The  golden  pomegranates  of  £den, 

To  quiet  its  fever  and  pain.  lokgfellow. 

9.     THE   OLD   CONTINENTALS. 

[This  piece  may  be  rendered  with  a  considerable  degree  of  imitative 
reading.  It  is  characterized  by  declamatory  force,  radical  stress,  and 
orotund  quality.  Let  the  class  mark  for  rlietorical  pauses,  empJiasis, 
and  inflections.] 

1.  In  their  ragged  regimentals. 
Stood  the  old  Continentals, 

Yielding  n6t, 
When  the  Grenadiers  were  Mnging, 
And  like  hail  fell  the  plunging 
Cknnon-^hot ; 
When  the  files 
Of  the  isles, 
From  the  smoky  night  encampment  bore   the  banner  of 
the  rampant 

tJnicorn, 
Antl  grummcr,  grummer,  grummcr,  rolled  the   roll  of  the 
drummer, 

Through  the  morn ! 

2.  Then  with  eyes  to  the  frdnt  all. 
And  with  guns  horizdntal. 

Stood  our  sires; 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  353 

And  the  balls  whistled  deadly^ 
And  in  streams  flashing  redly 
Blazed  the  fires  ; 
As  the  roar 
On  the  shore, 
Swept  the   strong  battle-breakers  o'er  the  green-sodded 
acres 

Of  the  plain ; 
And  louder,  louder,  louder,  cracked  the  black  gunpowder, 
Cracked  amain ! 

3.   Now  like  smiths  at  their  forges 
Worked  the  red  St.  George's 

Cannoniers  ; 
And  the  villainous  "saltpeter" 
Eang  a  fierce,  discordant  m^ter 
Eound  their  ears; 
As  the  swift 
Storm-drift, 
With  hot,  sweeping  anger,  came  the  horse-guards'  clangor 

On  our  flanks. 
Then  higher,  higher,  higher,  burned  the  old-fashioned  fire 
Through  the  rccnks  ! 

4    Then  the  old-fashioned  Colonel 

Galloped  through  the  white  infernal 

Pbwdcr-oiowd. ; 

And  his  broadsword  was  svnnging. 

And  his  brazen  throat  was  ringing 

Triimpet-\ond. 

Then  the  blue 

Bullets  fl^w, 

And  the  trdoper-jsicliets  redden  at  the  touch  of  the  leaden 

Elfle-hresith. 

And  rounder,  rounder,  rounder,  roared  the  iron  six-pounder. 

Hurling  death!  mcMasters. 

23 


354  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

10.     THE  WINDS. 

[Ecad  this  poem  line  by  line,  and  let  tJie  class  repeat,  in  concert, 
after  you.  Then  require  each  pupil,  in  turn,  to  go  upon  the  platform 
and  read  one  stanza,  subject  to  the  criticism  of  tli£  class  and  teacher.^ 

1. 

Ye  winds,  ye  unseen  currents  of  the  air, 
Soi'tly  ye  played,  a  few  brief  hours  ago; 

Ye  bore  the  murmuring  bfee ;   ye  tossed  the  hair 
O'er  maiden  cheeks  that  took  a  fresher  glow ; 

Ye  rolled  the  round  white  cloud  through  depths  of  bli!ie, 

Ye  shook  from  shaded  flowers  the  lingering  dfew; 

Before  you  the  catalpa's  blossom  tidw, 

Llglit  blossoms,  dropping  on  the  grass  like  snow. 

2. 
What  change  is  this  ?     Ye  take  the  cataract^s  sound ; 

Ye  take  the  ivhirlpooVs  fury  and  its  might ; 
Tlie  mountain  shudders  as  ye  sweep  the  ground ; 

The  valley  woods  lie  prone  beneath  your  flight; 
The  clouds  before  you  shoot  like  baffles  past; 
Tlie  homes  of  men  are  rocking  in  your  blast; 
Ye  lift  the  roofs  like  autumn  leaves,  and  cast, 

Skyward,  the  whirling  fragments  out  of  sight. 

3. 

Tlie  weary  fowls  of  heaven  make  wing  in  vain, 

To  'scape  your  wrath;  ye  seize  and  dash  them  dead; 

Against  the  earth  ye  drive  the  roaring  r^iin  ; 
The  harvest  field  becomes  a  river's  bed  ; 

And  thrrcnts  tumble  from  the  hills  around ; 

Plains  turn  to  lakes,  and  villages  are  drowned; 

And  wailing  ruires,  midst  the  tempest's  sound, 
llise,  as  tlie  rushing  waters  swell  and  spread. 

4. 
Ye  dart  upon  the  deep;   and  straight  is  heard 
A  vAlder  roar;  and  men  grow  pale  and  pray; 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  355 

Ye  fling  its  floods  around  you,  as  a  bird 

Flings  o'er  his  shivering  plumes  the  fountain's  spray. 
She !   to  the  breaking  mast  the  sdiloi^  clings ; 
Ye  scoop  the  dcean  to  its  briny  springs, 
And  take  the  mountain  billow  on  your  wings, 

And  pile  the  wreck  of  navies  round  the  bay. 

5. 
"Why  rage  ye  thus  ? — no  strife  for  liberty 

Has  made  you  mad  ;    no  tyrant,  strong  through  f^ar, 
Has  chained  your  pinions  till  ye  wrenched  them  frde, 

And  rushed  into  the  unmeasured  atmosphere; 
For  ye  were  born  in  freedom  where  ye  blow ; 
Free  o'er  the  mighty  deep  to  come  and  go; 
Earth's  solemn  woods  were  yours,  her  wastes  of  snow. 

Her  isles  where  summer  blossoms  all  the  yfear. 

6. 

O  ye  wild  winds ;  a  mightier  power  than  yours 
In  chains  upon  the  shore  of  Europe  lies ; 

The  sceptered  throng,  whose  fetters  he  endures, 
Watch  his  mute  throes  with  terror  in  their  eyes ; 

And  arm^d  warriors  all  around  him  stand, 

And,  as  he  struggles,  tighten  every  band. 

And  lift  the  heavy  spear,  with  threatening  hand, 
To  pierce  the  victim,  should  he  strive  to  rise. 

7. 
Yet  oh !  when  that  wronged  Spirit  of  our  race 

Shall  br^ak,  as  soon  he  must,  his  long-worn  chains, 
And  leap  in  freedom  from  his  ^;?'{.so?i-place, 

Lord  of  his  ancient  hills  and  fruitful  plains, 
Let  him  not  rise,  like  these  mad  winds  of  air, 
To  waste  the  loveliness  that  time  could  spare. 
To  fill  the  earth  with  woe,  and  blot  the  fair 

Unconscious  brc^ast  with  blood  from  human  v^ins. 


356  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

8. 

But  may  he  like  the  Spring-time  come  abroad, 
Who  crumbles  Winter's  gyves  with  gentle  might, 

When  in  the  genial  breeze,  the  breath  of  God, 
Come  spouting  up  the  unsealed  springs  to  light ; 

Flowers  start  from  their  dark  prisons  at  his  ffeet, 

The  woods,  long  dumb,  awake  to  hymnings  sweet ; 

And  morn  and  eve,  whose  glimmerings  almost  mdet, 
Crowd  back  to  narrow  bounds  the  ancient  night. 

Bbyamt. 

11.     THE  DAY  IS  DONE. 

1.  The  day  is  done,  and  the  darkness 

Falls  from  the  wings  of  ISTight, 
As  a  feather  is  wafted  downward 
From  an  hagle  in  his  flight. 

2.  I  see  the  lights  of  the  village 

Gleam  through  the  rain  and  the  mist. 
And  a  feeling  of  sadness  comes  o'er  me 
That  my  soul  cannot  resist. 

3.  A  feeling  of  sadness  and  longing, 

That  is  not  akin  to  pain, 
And  resembles  sorrow  only, 

As  the  mist  resembles  the  roiin. 

4.  Come,  read  to  me  some  phem, 

Some  simple  and  heartfelt  lay, 
That  shall  soothe  this  restless  fdeling, 
And  banish  the  thoughts  of  day. 

5.  N6t  from  the  grand  old  masters, 

N6t  from  the  bards  sublime, 
Whose  distant  footsteps  echo 
Throu!];li  the  corridors  of  Time. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  357 

6.  For,  like  strains  of  mdrtial  music, 

Their  mighty  thoughts  suggest 
Life's  endless  t6il  and  endeavor; 
And  to-ni'ght  I  long  for  rest. 

7.  Eead  from  some  h'dinhleo'  poet, 

Whose  songs  gushed  from  his  heart. 
As  shdivers  from  the  clouds  of  summer. 
Or  tears  from  the  eyelids  start; 

8.  Who,  through  long  days  of  labor, 

And  nights  devoid  of  dase, 
Still  heard  in  his  soul  the  music 
Of  wonderful  melodies. 

9.  Such  songs  have  power  to  quiet 

The  restless  pulse  of  care, 

And  come  like  the  benediction 

That  follows  after  prayer. 

10.  Then  read  from  the  treasured  volume 

The  poem  of  thy  choice, 
And  lend  to  the  rhyme  of  the  poet 
The  beauty  of  thy  voice. 

11.  And  the  night  shall  be  filled  with  music. 

And  the  cares  that  infest  the  day, 
Shall  fold  their  tents  like  the  Arabs, 
And  as  silently  steal  aw^y. 


Longfellow. 


12.     THE  BATTLE-FIELD. 

1,   Once  this  soft  turf,  this  rivulet's  sands, 
Were  trampled  |  by  a  hurrying  crowd, 
And  fiery  hedrts  |  and  arm^d  hands  \ 
Encountered  in  the  &^^^^c-cloud. 


358  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

2.  Ah' !  never  shall  the  land  forget  | 

Hov/  gushed  the  life-blood  \  of  her  brave— 
Gushed,  warm  with  hope  and  courage  ydt, 
Upon  tlie  s6il  |  they  fouglit  to  shve. 

3.  Now  all  is  calm,  and  frdsh  and  still; 

Alone  the  chirp  of  flitting  bird, 
And  talk  of  children  on  the  hill, 

And  bell  of  wandering  kine  \  are  hfeard. 

4   No  solemn  host  goes  trailing  by 

The  black-mouthed  giin  \  and  staggering  wain  ; 
Men  start  not  at  the  hdttlc-cry ; 
Oh,  be  it  never  heard  again  ! 

5.  Soon  rested  |  those  who  fought;  but  thou, 

Who  minglest  in  the  harder  strife  | 
For  truths  |  which  men  receive  not  now. 
Thy  warfare  |  only  ends  with  l\fe,. 

6.  A  friendless  warfare  !  lingering  long  | 

Through  weary  day  |  and  weary  y^ar. 
A  wild  and  many-weaponed  throng  | 
Hang  on  thy  front,  and  flank,  and  r^ar, 

7.  Yet  nerve  thy  spirit  |  to  the  proof. 

And  blench  not  at  thy  chosen  lot; 
The  timid  good  may  stand  aloof, 

The  sage  may  frown — yet  faint  thou  nht. 

8.  Nor  liced  the  shdi't  |  too  surely  cast, 

The  foul  I  and  hissing  bolt  of  scorn ; 
For  with  thy  side  |  shall  dwell,  at  last, 
The  victory  |  of  endiXrance  \  born. 

9.  Tnith  j  crushed  to  darth  |  shall  rise  again ; 

The  eternal  years  \  of  Ghd  are  lifers ; 
But  J^rror  \  wounded,  writhes  in  pain. 
And  dies  \  among  his  wbrshipers. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  359 

10.  Yea,  though  thou  lie  upon  the  diist, 

When  they  who  helped  thee  flee  in  fdar, 
Die  I  full  of  hope  and  manly  trust, 
Like  those  who  fell  in  tattle  here. 

11.  Another  hand  |  the  sword  shall  wield, 

Another  hand  |  the  standard  wave, 
Till  from  the  trumpet's  mouth  |  is  pdaled 
The  blast  of  trmiiqoh  \  o'er  thy  grave. 


Beyaut. 


13.     HYMN  TO   MONT   BLANC. 

[This  is  a  difficult  piece  of  reading.  It,  should  be  first  analyzed 
grammatically  and  rhetorically,  to  enable  the  pupil  to  coinj^reliend  the 
full  meaning.  The  reading,  in  general,  will  be  characterized  by  me- 
dian stress,  orotund  quality,  strong  force,  and  slow  movement.] 

Hast  thou  a  charm  to  stay  the  morning-star 
In  his  steep  course  ?     So  Ibng  he  seems  to  pause 
On  thy  bald,  awful  hdad,  0  sovereign  Blanc! 
The  Arve  and  Arveiron  at  thy  base 
Eave  ceaselessly;  but  thou,  most  awful  f(5rm, 
Eisest  from  forth  thy  silent  sea  of  pines, 
How  silently  !     Around  thee  and  above, 
Deep  is  the  air  and  clcirh ;  substantial  black ; 
An  ebon  mass :    methinks  thou  inercest  it 
As  with  a  wedge !     But  when  I  look  again. 
It  is  thine  own  calm  home,  thy  crystal  shrme, 
Thy  habitation  from  eternity. 

0  dread  and  silent  3Ibunt !  I  gazed  upon  thee. 
Till  thou,  still  present  to  the  bodily  sense, 

Didst  vtXnish  from  my  thought :  entranced  in  prayer, 

1  worshiped  the  Invisible  alone. 

Yet,  like  some  sweet,  beguiling  melody — 
So  sweet,  we  know  not  we  are  listening  to  it — 
Thou,  the  meanwhile,  wast  blending  with  my  ihbught, 
Yea,  with  my  l\fe  and  life's  own  secret  jby; 


360  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Till  the  dilating  soul — enrapt,  transfused 

Into  the  mighty  vision  passing — th^re, 

As  in  her  natural  form,  swelled  vast  to  Heaven  ! 

Awctke,  my  soul  !  not  only  pdssive  praise 
Thou  owest ;  not  alone  these  swelling  tears, 
Mute  thanks,  and  secret  ecstasy.     Awake, 
Voice  of  sweet  song !     Awake,  my  heart,  awdcke ! 
Green  vales  and  icy  cViffs,  all  join  my  hymn. 

Thbu  first  and  chief,  sole  sovereign  of  the  vkle ! 
O,  struggling  with  the  darkness  all  the  night, 
And  visited  all  night  by  troops  of  stars. 
Or  when  they  climb  the  sky  or  when  they  smh ; 
Companion  of  the  morning-star  at  dawn. 
Thyself  Earth's  rosy  stdr,  and  of  the  dawn 
Co-hdrald ;  wikke,  0  xohhe,  and  utter  frhise  ! 
Who  sank  thy  sunless  pillars  deep  in  fearth  ? 
Whb  filled  thy  countenance  with  rosy  light  ? 
Wlib  made  thee  parent  of  perpetual  streams  ? 

And  ybu,  ye  five  M'ild  torrents,  fiercely  glad ! 
Who  called  you.  forth  from  night  and  utter  d^ath, 
From  dark  and  icy  caverns  called  you  forth, 
Down  those  precipitous,  black,  jtigged  rocks, 
For  ever  shuttered  and  the  same  for  ever  ? 
Whb  gave  you  your  invulnerable  l\fe. 
Your  strength,  your  spfeed,  your  fury,  and  your  j6y, 
Unceasiny  thunder  and  eternal  fbani  l 
And  who  commanded  (and  the  silence  came), 
"  Here  let  the  billows  stiffen,  and  have  rht  ? " 

Ye  ice-falls !  ye  that  from  the  mountain's  brow 
Adown  enormous  ritvines  slope  anu\in — 
Torrents,  methinks,  that  heard  a  mighty  voice. 
And  stopped  at  once  amid  their  maddest  plunge ! 
Motionless  torrents  !  silent  ciitaracts  ! — 
Who  made  you  glorious  as  the  gates  of  Heaven 
Beneath  the  keen  full  moon  ?     Who  bade  the  siun 
Clothe  you  with  rainbows  ?     Who,  with  living  fibwers 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  361 

Of  loveliest  blue,  spread  garlands  at  your  ffeet  ?  — 

Gdd !  let  the  torrents,  like  a  shout  of  nations 

Answer !   and  let  the  ice-plains  echo,  G6d  ! 

Gdd  I   sing  ye  meadow-streams  with  gladsome  voice ! 

Ye  pine-gTowes,  with  your  soft  and  soul-like  sounds ! 

And  thei/,  too,  have  a  voice,  yon  piles  of  snow, 

And  in  their  perilous  fall  shall  thunder,  God  ! 

Ye  living  Jibwers  that  skirt  the  eternal  frost ! 

Ye  wild  gbats  sporting  round  the  Ragles  nest! 

Ye  hagles,  playmates  of  the  mountain-stbrm  1 

Ye  lightnings,  the  dread  arrows  of  the  clouds ! 

Ye  signs  and  wonders  of  the  elements ! 

Utter  forth  "  God  ! "   and  fill  the  lillls  with  prhise. 

Once  mbre,  hoar  mount !  with  thy  sky-pointing  peak, 
Oft  from  whose  feet  the  avalanche,  unhdard, 
Shoots  downward,  glittering  through  the  pure  serine, 
Into  the  depth  of  clouds  that  veil  thy  breast — 
Thbu,  too,  again,  stu2Jendons  mbuntain !   thou. 
That,  as  I  raise  my  h^ad,  awhile  bowed  low 
In  adoration,  upward  from  thy  base 
Slow-traveling  with  dim  eyes  suffused  with  tdars. 
Solemnly  sdemest,  like  a  vapory  clbud, 
To  rise  before  me — rise,  oh,  ever  rise ; 
Rise,  like  a  eloitd  of  \nce71se,  from  the  fearth ! 
Thou  hingly  spirit  throned  among  the  hills. 
Thou  dread  arabdssador  from  earth  to  heaven, 
Great  hierareh  !  tell  thou  the  silent  sky, 
And  tell  the  stars,  and  tell  yon  rising  siin, 
Udrth,  with  her  thousand  voices,  prdises  Gdd  ! 


362  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

14     MOENING  HYMN. 

[This  x>i<^ce  is  cliaradcrizcd    hy  slow    movement,   median  stress,    and 
orotwid  quality.] 

These  are  thi/  gldrious  works,  Parent  of  good, 

Almighty  !     IViine  this  universal  frhmc, 

Thus  wondrous  lair ;  Thyself  hbio  wondrous  then ! 

Uiispeakable,  who  sit'st  above  these  heavens 

To  us  invisible,  or  dimly  seen 

In  these  thy  lowest  works ;  yet  these  declare 

Thy  gdodness  beyond  thought,  and  power  divine. 

Speak,  ye  who  best  can  tell,  ye  sons  of  light. 

Angels;    for  ye  behold  him,  and  with  songs 

And  choral  symphonies,  day  without  night, 

Circle  his  throne  rejoicing ;  ye,  in  Heaven, 

On  earth,  join  all  ye  creatures,  to  extol 

Him  first,  him  last,  liim  midst,  and  vdthout  hid. 

Fairest  of  stars,  last  in  the  train  of  night. 

If  better  thou  belong  not  to  the  ddiun. 

Sure  pledge  of  day,  that  crown'st  the  smiling  morn 

With  thy  bright  circlet,  pi^dise  him  in  thy  sphere, 

While  ddy  arises,  that  sweet  hour  of  prime. 

Thou  Sun,  of  this  great  world  both  eye  and  s6ul. 

Acknowledge  him  thy  greater;   sound  his  praise 

In  thy  eternal  course,  both  when  thou  climUst, 

And  when  high  ndon  hast  gained,  and  when  thou  fbXVst. 

Mbon,  that  now  meet'st  the  orient  Sun,  now  fly'st, 

With  the  fxed  sthrs,  fixed  in  their  orb  that  flies; 

And  ye  five  other  wandering  fires,  that  move 

lu  mystic  dance  not  without  song,  resound 

His  praise,  who  out  of  ddrkness  called  up  light. 

Air,  and  ye  Elements,  the  eldest  birth 

Of  Nature's  W(\mb,  that  in  quaternion  run, 

rcrpp.tual  circle,  multiform ;  and  mix 

And  nourish  dll  things ;  let  your  ceaseless  change 

Vary  to  our  great  Mdkcr  still  new  _^:>r^ise. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  36^ 

Ye  mists  and  exhalations,  tliat  now  rise 

From  hill  or  steaming  lake,  dusky  or  gray, 

Till  the  sun  paint  your  fleecy  skirts  with  gold. 

In  honor  to  the  wm'ld's  great  Author  rise; 

Whether  to  deck  with  clouds  the  uncolored  sky, 

Or  wet  the  thirsty  earth  with  falling  showers, 

Rising  or  falling,  still  advance  his  praise. 

His  praise,  ye  winds,  that  from  four  quarters  blow, 

Breathe  soft  or  loud;   and  wave  your  tops,  ye  pines, 

With  every  plant,  in  sign  of  worship,  wave. 

Foimtains,  and  ye  that  warble  as  ye  flow, 

Melddious  miinnurs,  warbling,  tttne  his  praise. 

Join  voices  idl,  ye  living  souls :   ye  hhrls. 

That  singing,  up  to  Mavcn's  gate  ascend, 

Bear  on  youi*  wings  and  in  your  ndtes  Ms  prhise. 


15.     THANATOPSIS. 

[As  a  preliminary  exercise,  let  pupils  name  all  the  phrases  and 
clauses,  and  tell  what  each  modifies ;  also,  call  on  them  to  parse  the 
more  difficult  words.  The  reading  of  this  poem  is  characterized  by 
slow  movement,  median  stress,  and  orotund  quality.'] 

To  him  I  who  |  in  the  love  of  Nature  \  holds 
Communion  |  with  her  visible  forms,  she  speaks  | 
A  vdrions  language;  for  his  gayer  hours  | 
She  has  a  voice  of  gltdness,  and  a  smile 
And  eloquence  of  beauty,  and  she  glides  | 
Into  his  darker  musings  with  a  mild  | 
And  healing  symjjathg,  that  steals  away 
Their  sharpness  |  ere  he  is  aware.     AVhen  thoughts  | 
Of  the  last  bitter  hour  |  come  like  a  blight  | 
Over  thy  spirit,  and  sad  images  | 
Of  the  stern  dgony,  and  shrdud,  and  pdll. 
And  breathless  darkness,  and  the  narrow  hduse. 
Make  thee  to  shudder  |  and  grow  sick  at  heart, 


364  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Go  forth  I  under  the  open  sky,  and  list 

To  Nitture's  teachinys ;  while  from  all  around — 

iSarth  and  her  icdters,  and  the  depths  of  dir — 

Comes  I  a  still  voice : — Yet  a  few  days  |  and  thee  \ 

The  all-beholding  sun  |  shall  see  no  more  | 

In  all  his  course ;  nor  yet  [  in  the  cold  ground, 

Where  thy  pale  form  |  was  laid  with  many  tears, 

Nor  in  the  embrace  of  bcean,  shall  exist  | 

Thy  Image,     ^arth,  that  nourislud  thee,  shall  cldiin 

Thy  growth,  to  be  resolved  to  earth  again; 

And,  lost  each  human  trace,  surrendering  up 

Thine  individual  b^ing,  shalt  thou  go  ] 

To  mix  forever  with  tlie  elements, 

To  be  a  brother  [  to  the  insensible  rbch  \ 

And  to  the  sluggish  clbd,  which  the  rude  swain  | 

Turns  with  his  share,  and  ti^eads  upon.     The  oak 

Shall  send  his  roots  abroad,  and  pierce  thy  mold. 

Yet  not  to  thine  eternal  resting-place  1 
Shalt  thou  retire  alone — nor  could'st  thou  idish  j 
Couch  mdre  magnificent.     Thou  shalt  lie  down  | 
With  patriarchs  |  of  the  infant  wbiM — with  kings. 
The  'powerful  of  the  earth — the  wise,  the  gbod. 
Fair  forms,  and  hoary  seers  of  ages  pdst. 
All  1  in  one  mighty  s^jpulcher.     The  hills, 
Eock-ribbed  and  ancient  as  the  sun;   the  vdles, 
Stretching  in  pensive  quietness  between ; 
The  venerable  vjoods ;   rivers,  that  move 
In  majesty ;   and  the  complaining  hrboJcs, 
That  make  the  meadows  grkn;  and,  poured  round  dll 
Old  beeans  gray  and  melancholy  waste — 
Are  but  the  solemn  decortctions  \  dll  \ 
Of  the  great  tomh  of  md^n!     The  golden  siun, 
Tlie  pldncts,  all  tlie  infinite  host  of  Maven, 
Are  shining  on  the  sad  abodes  of  death, 
Tlirough  the  still  lapse  of  ^ges.     All  that  triad 
The  globe  |  are  but  a  hhndful  \  to  the  tribes 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  365 

That  slumber  in  its  hbsom.     Take  the  wings 

Of  mbrning,  and  the  Barcan  desert  pierce, 

Or  lose  thyself  |  in  the  continuous  woods  | 

Where  rolls  the  Oregon,  and  hears  no  sound  | 

Save  bis  own  d^shings — yet  |  the  dead  |  are  thfere; 

And  millions  \  in  those  solitudes,  since  first 

The  flight  of  years  began,  have  laid  them  down  ] 

In  their  last  slfeep :   the  dead  |  reign  there  |  alone ! 

So  shalt  thou  rest ;   and  what  if  thou  withdraw  | 

Unheeded  by  the  living,  and  no  frihnd  \ 

Take  note  of  thy  departure !     All  that  hrktthe  \ 

Will  share  thy  destiny.     The  gdy  \  will  laugh 

When  thou  art  gone,  the  solemn  brood  of  care  | 

Plod  on,  and  each  one,  as  hefbre,  will  chase 

His  favorite  phantom;   yet  all  these  \  shall  Rave 

Their  mirth  and  their  employments,  and  shall  come  [ 

And  make  their  bed  |  with  thee.     As  the  long  train 

Of  ages  glides  away,  the  sons  of  mdn — 

The  ydiith  \  in  life's  green  spring,  and  he  who  goes  | 

In  the  full  strength  of  years,  mdtro7i  and  maid. 

The  bowed  with  dge,  the  infant  \  in  the  smiles  | 

And  beauty  of  its  innocent  age  |  cut  off — 

Shall  I  one  by  one  [  be  gathered  to  thy  side  | 

By  those  |  who  in  their  turn  |  shall  follow  them. 

So  live,  that  when  thy  summons  |  comes  to  join  | 
The  innumerable  caravan  |  that  moves  | 
To  that  mysterious  realm  where  each  shall  take 
His  chamber  ]  in  the  silent  halls  of  ddath. 
Thou  go,  not  like  the  quarry-slave  at  night, 
Scourged  to  his  dungeon ;  but,  sustained  and  soothed  | 
By  an  unfaltering  trust,  approach  thy  grave  | 
Like  one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
About  him,  and  lies  down  |  to  pleasant  dreams. 

Bryant. 


366  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

16.     ELEGY  WEITTEX   IX   A  COUNTEY 
CHUECHYARD. 

1. 

The  curfeio  \  tolls  the  knell  |  of  parting  ddiy ; 

The  lowing  Mrd  \  winds  slowly  |  o'er  the  Ua; 
The  pldwman  \  homeward  ]  plods  his  weary  wdy, 

And  leaves  the  wdiid  \  to  darkness  |  and  to  mh 

2. 

Now  fades  |  the  glimmering  Idbndscape  |  on  the  sight, 
And  all  the  air  \  a  solemn  stillness  \  holds, 

Save  where  the  beetle  \  wheels  his  droning  flight, 
And  drowsy  tinkliugs  |  lull  the  distant  fdlds ; 

3. 

Save  I  that  from  yonder  |  ivy-mantled  tower, 
The  moping  owl  j  does  to  the  moon  |  complain  | 

Of  such  as,  wand'ring  near  her  secret  bower. 
Molest  her  ancient,  solitary  rfeign. 

4. 
Beneath  those  rugged  ^Ims,  that  yew-tree's  sh4de. 

Where  heaves  the  turf  1  in  many  a  moldering  hdap. 
Each  I  in  his  narrow  cell  |  forever  laid. 

The  rude  fdrefathers  \  of  the  hdmlct  \  sleep. 

5. 

The  breezy  cdll  \  of  incense-breathing  morn. 

The  swdlloio  \  twittering  |  from  the  straw-built  shdd. 

The  cock's  shrill  cldrion,  or  the  echoing  hdrn, 

No  more  |  shall  rouse  thdra  |  from  their  lowly  bed. 

6. 
For  them  ]  no  m6re  the  blazing  hearth  \  shall  burn, 

Or  busy  hdusewife  \  ply  her  evening  care ; 
No  children  \  run  |  to  lisp  their  sire's  return. 

Or  climb  liis  hiecs  I  the  envied  Hss  I  to  share. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  367 

7. 

Oft  did  the  harvest  \  to  their  sickle  \  yield, 

Their  furrow  \  oft  |  the  stubborn  glebe  \  has  broke ; 

How  Jocund  \  did  they  drive  their  team  a-fifeld ! 

How  bowed  |  the  ivSods  \  beneath  their  sturdy  sh'bke  ! 


Let  not  Ambition  |  mock  their  useful  toil, 
Their  homely  joys,  and  destiny  |  obscure ; 

Nor  Grandeur  |  hear  |  with  a  disdainful  smile  | 
The  short  \  and  simple  annals  ]  of  the  poor, 

9. 

The  boast  of  heraldry,  the  pomp  of  poiver, 

And  all  that  beatUi/,  all  that  wealth  |  e'er  gave, 

Await  I  alike  |  the  inevitable  hour  : 

The  paths  of  glory  \  lead  |  but  to  the  grave. 

10. 
'Not  you,  ye  proud,  impute  to  these  the  fault. 

If  Memory  |  o'er  their  tomb  |  no  trophies  raise, 
Where,  through  the  long-drawn  aisle  [  and  fretted  vault. 

The  pealing  dntheiii  \  swells  the  note  [  of  inaise. 

11. 

Can  storied  lirn,  or  animated  bust, 

Back  to  its  mansion  |  call  the  fleeting  breath? 
Can  Honors  voice  |  provoke  the  silent  diist. 

Or  Flditery  soothe  |  the  dull,  cold  ear  ]  of  Death? 

12. 

Perhaps  in  this  neglected  spot  |  is  |  laid  ) 

Some  heart  \  once  pregnant  |  with  celestial  fire — 

Hands  \  that  the  rod  of  hnpire  \  might  have  swayed, 
Or  waked  to  ecstasy  \  the  living  lyre : 


368  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

13. 

But  Kndwledge  \  to  their  eyes  |  her  ample  page, 
Rich  with  the  spoils  of  time,  did  ne'er  unroll ; 

Chill  Penury  \  repressed  their  noble  rage. 
And  froze  the  genial  current  \  of  the  soul. 

14 

Full  many  a  gem  \  of  purest  ray  serene  | 
The  dark,  unfathomed  caves  of  ocean  \  bear; 

Full  many  a  Jlbwer  \  is  born  to  blush  unseen, 
And  waste  |  its  sweetness  \  on  the  desert  air. 

15. 

Some  village  Hampden,  that,  with  dauntless  breast, 
The  little  tyrant  |  of  his  fields  |  withstood  ; 

Some  mute,  inglorious  Milton  \  here  may  rest — 
Some  Crbmwell,  guiltless  of  his  country's  bl6od. 

16. 

The  applause  [  of  listening  senates  \  to  command, 
The  threats  |  of  pain  and  ruin  |  to  despise, 

To  scatter  plenty  \  o'er  a  smiling  land, 

And  read  their  history  |  in  a  nation's  Syes, 

17. 
Their  lot  \forhddc;   nor  circumscribed  |  alone  | 

Their  growing  virtues,  but  their  crimes  confined ; 
Forbade  to  wade  |  through  slaughter  |  to  a  throne, 

And  shut  the  gates  |  of  mercy  \  on  manJcind ; 

18. 

The  struggling  pangs  |  of  conscious  tri^th  |  to  hide, 
To  quench  the  blushes  of  ingenuous  shdme, 

Or  heap  the  shrine  of  Luxury  and  Pride  | 
With  incense  I  kindled  at  the  Muse's  flame. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  369 

19. 

Far  from  the  madding  crowd's  |  ignoble  strife, 
Their  sober  wishes  \  never  learned  to  stray ; 

Along  the  cool,  sequestered  vale  |  of  life  | 
They  kept  the  noiseless  tdnor  |  of  their  way. 

20. 
Yet  e'en  these  hones  \  from  insult  to  protect, 

Some  frail  memdrial  \  still  erected  nigh, 
With  uncouth  rhymes  \  and  shapeless  sculpture  \  decked, 

Implores  the  passing  tribute  \  of  a  sigh. 

21. 
Their  name,  their  y^ars,  spelt  by  the  unlettered  Miise, 

The  place  of  fame  \  and  elegy  \  supply ; 
And  many  a  holy  text  \  around  she  straws, 

That  teach  the  rustic  moralist  \  to  die. 

22. 
For  who,  to  dumb  forgetfulness  |  a  pr^y, 

This  pleasing,  anxious  Ming  \  e'er  resigned, 
Left  the  warm  precincts  |  of  the  cheerful  day, 

Nor  cast  I  one  longing,  lingering  look  \  behind? 

23. 
On  some  fond  hreast  \  the  parting  sbul  \  relies. 

Some  pious  drops  \  tlie  closing  eye  requires ; 
E'en  from  the  tomb  \  the  voice  of  Nature  |  cries, 

E'en  in  our  ashes  \  live  |  their  wonted  fires. 

24. 
For  th^e,  who,  mindful  of  the  unhonored  ddad, 

Dost  I  in  these  lines  |  their  artless  tale  |  relate, 
If  chance,  by  lonely  contemplation  ]^d, 

Some  kindred  S2nrit  \  shall  inquire  thy  fate — 
24 


370  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

25. 

Haply  I  some  hoary-headed  swain  ]  may  say : 
"  Oft  have  we  seen  him,  at  the  peep  of  dawn, 

Brushing  with  hasty  steps  |  the  dews  away, 
To  meet  the  sicji  \  upon  the  upland  Idwn. 

26. 

"  There,  at  the  foot  |  of  yonder  nodding  bdech, 
That  wreathes  its  old,  fantastic  roots  so  high. 

His  listless  length  1  at  noontide  |  would  he  stretch. 
And  pore  upon  the  brook  |  that  babbles  by. 

27. 
"  Hard  by  yon  vjood,  now  smiling  |  as  in  scorn. 

Muttering  his  wayward  fancies,  he  Avould  rove ; 
Now  drooping,  woful-wan,  like  one  forlorn, 

Or  crazed  with  care,  or  crossed  in  hopeless  Ibve. 

28. 
"  One  morn  [  I  missed  him  |  on  the  'customed  hill. 

Along  the  hdath,  and  near  his  favorite  tv6e ; 
Anbthcr  \  came,  nor  yet  beside  the  rill, 

Nor  up  the  UUvn,  nor  at  the  tvood  \  was  he ; 

29. 
"  Tlie  ndxt,  with  dirges  due,  in  sad  array. 

Slow  I  through  the  church-way  path  |  we  saw  him  borne 
Approach  and  rdad  |  (for  thou  canst  rdad)  |  the  lay  | 

Graved  on  the  stone  |  beneath  yon  aged  thorn." 

THE   EPITAPH. 

Here  \  rests  his  Mad  \  upon  the  lap  of  (^arth, 
A  yoilth  I  to  Fortune  |  and  to  Fame  \  unhibimi ; 

Fair  Science  \  frowned  not  |  on  his  Immble  hirth, 
And  Melanclwly  \  marked  him  |  for  her  bwn. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  371 

31. 

Large  \  was  his  hdunty,  and  his  soul  \  sinche ; 

Heaven  \  did  a  recompense  |  as  hargely  send : 
He  gave  to  misery — all  he  had — a  tear; 

He  gained  from  Heaven — 'twas  all  he  wished — a,  friend. 

32. 

No  further  seek  |  his  mlrits  \  to  disclose, 

Or  draw  his  frailties  \  from  their  dread  abode 

(There  |  they  alike  |  in  trembling  hope  ]  repose) — 
The  Msom  \  of  his  Father  \  and  his  God. 

Thomas  Gray. 


17.     DANIEL  WEBSTER. 

1.  When  life  hath  rim  its  largest  round  | 

Of  toil  and  triumph,  joy  and  woe, 

How  brief  |  a  storied  page  is  found  | 

To  compass  all  its  outward  show ! 

2.  The  world-tried  sailor  tires  and  droops; 

His  flag  is  rdnt,  his  keel  forgot; 
His  farthest  voyages  |  seem  but  loops  | 
That  float  |  from  life's  entangled  knot. 

3.  But  when  within  tlie  narrow  space  | 

Some  larger  soul  hath  lived  and  wrought. 
Whose  sight  |  was  open  to  embrace  | 

The  boundless  realms  |  of  deed  and  thought,- 

4.  When,  stricken  by  the  freezing  blast, 

A  nation's  living  pillars  fall, 
How  rich  |  the  storied  page,  how  vast, 
A  word,  a  whisper,  can  reci\ll ! 

5.  No  medal  |  lifts  its  fretted  face, 

Nor  speaking  marble  |  cheats  your  eye, 


372  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Yet,  while  these  pictured  lines  I  trdce, 
A  living  Image  \  ]3asses  by : 

6.  A  roof  I  beneath  the  mountain  pines ; 

The  cloisters  ]  of  a  hill -girt  plain ; 
The  front  of  life's  embattled  lines ; 
A  mound  |  beside  the  heaving  main. 

7.  Th^se  I  are  the  scenes :  a  hbij  appears ; 

Set  life's  round  dial  |  in  the  sun, 
Count  the  swift  arc  |  of  seventy  y^ars, 
His  frame  |  is  dust ;   his  task  [  is  d6ne. 

8.  Yet  pause  upon  the  noontide  hour. 

Ere  the  declining  sun  |  has  laid  | 
His  bleaching  rays  |  on  manhood's  power. 
And  look  upon  the  mighty  shade. 

9.  No  gloom  I  that  stately  shape  can  hide. 

No  cliange  |  uncrown  its  brow ;  behold  ! 
Dark,  calm,  large-fronted,  lightning-eyed, 
Earth  has  no  double  |  from  its  mold. 

10.  Ere  from  the  fields  |  by  valor  won  | 

The  battle-smoke  |  had  rolled  away, 
And  bared  the  blood-red  setting  siin, 
His  eyes  |  "were  opened  on  the  d;\y. 

11.  His  hind  ]  was  but  a  shelving  strip  | 

Black  I  with  the  strife  |  tliat  made  it  fr^e; 
He  lived  |  to  see  its  banners  dip  | 
Tlieir  fringes  ]  in  the  western  sfea. 

12.  The  boundless  prciiries  \  learned  his  n^me. 

His  words  |  tlie  mountain  ecliocs  knew, 
The  nortliern  brdezes  |  swept  his  fame  | 
From  icy  lake  ]  to  ^s'arm  bayoii. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  372 

13.  In  toil  I  he  lived ;  iu  pdace  |  he  died ; 

When  life's  full  cycle  was  compMte, 
Put  off  his  robes  of  power  and  pride. 
And  laid  them  |  at  his  Master's  ffeet. 

14.  His  rest  |  is  by  the  storm-swept  waves  | 

Whom  life's  wild  tempests  |  roughly  tried, 
Whose  heart  |  was  like  the  streaming  caves  | 
Of  ocean,  throbbing  at  his  side. 

15.  Death's  cold  white  hand  |  is  like  the  snow  | 

Laid  softly  |  on  the  furrowed  hill — 
It  hides  the  broken  seams  below, 

And  leaves  the  summit  |  brighter  still. 

16.  In  vain  the  envious  tongue  upbraids ; 

His  name  |  a  nation's  heart  shall  k^ep  | 
Till  morning's  latest  sunlight  fades  | 

On  the  blue  tablet  |  of  the  dfeep !  holmes. 


18.     ST.   AUGUSTINE'S  LADDER 

Saint  Augustine !  well  hast  thou  said, 
That  I  of  our  vices  |  we  can  frame  | 

A  ladder,  if  we  will  but  tread  | 

Beneath  our  feet  |  each  deed  of  shame ! 

All  common  things,  each  day's  events, 
That  I  with  the  hour  |  begin  and  dud, 

Our  pleasures  I  and  our  discontdnts, 

Are  rounds  |  by  which  |  we  may  ascend. 

The  low  desire,  the  base  design, 

That  makes  another's  virtues  |  Idss  ; 

The  revel  |  of  the  ruddy  wine, 
And  all  occasions  |  of  excess ; 


374  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

4.  The  loDging  |  for  ignoble  things 

The  strife  |  for  triumph  |  more  than  truth ; 
The  hardening  of  the  heart,  tliat  brings  | 
Irreverence  |  for  the  dreams  of  youth; 

5.  All  thouglits  of  ill;  all  evil  ddeds, 

That  have  their  root  \  in  thoughts  of  ill; 
Whatever  hinders  |  or  impedes  | 
The  action  |  of  the  noble  will; — 

6.  All  these  |  must  first  j  be  trampled  down  | 

Beneath  our  feet,  if  we  would  gain  | 
In  the  bright  fields  |  of  fair  renown  ) 
The  right  ]  of  eminent  domain, 

7.  We  have  not  wings,  we  can  not  soar; 

But  we  have  feet  |  to  scale  and  climb, 
By  slow  degrees,  by  more  and  more, 
The  cloudy  summits  |  of  our  time. 

8.  The  distant  mountains,  that  uprear  | 

Their  solid  bastions  |  to  the  skies, 
Are  crossed  |  by  pathways,  that  appear  | 
As  we  I  to  higher  levels  \  rise. 

9.  The  heights  j  by  great  men  |  reached  and  kept  | 

Were  not  attained  |  by  sudden  flight. 
But  they,  while  their  companions  sldpt. 
Were  toiling  upward  |  in  the  night. 

10.  Standing  |  on  what  I  too  long  |  we  bore  ] 

With  shoulders  bent  |  and  downcast  eyes, 
We  may  discdrn — unseen  lief(3re — 
A  path  I  to  higher  destinies ; 

11.  Nor  deem  the  irrevocaljle  Past  | 

As  wholly  wasted,  wholly  vain, 
If,  rising  on  its  wrecks,  at  last  | 

To  something  nobler  |  we  attain.         Longfellow. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  375 

19.      EING   OUT,  WILD   BELLS. 

[T/i/s  extract  should  be  read  with  radical  and  medicm  stress,  strong 
force,  and  strongly  contrasted  inflections.  Let  the  class  mark  for  em- 
phasis and  inflection.'] 

1.  liing  out,  wild  bells,  to  the  wild  sky, 

The  flying  cloud,  the  frosty  light; 
The  year  is  dying  in  the  night; 
Ring  out,  wild  bells,  and  let  him  die. 

2.  Ring  out  the  old,  ring  in  the  new. 

Ring,  happy  bells,  across  the  snow; 
The  year  is  going ;  let  him  go ; 
Ring  out  the  false,  ring  in  the  true. 

3.  Ring  out  the  grief  that  saps  the  mind, 

For  those  that  here  we  see  no  more; 
Ring  out  the  feud  of  rich  and  poor, 
Ring  in  redress  to  all  mankind. 

4.  Ring  out  a  slowly  dying  cause, 

And  ancient  forms  of  party  strife, 
Ring  in  the  nobler  modes  of  life, 
With  sweeter  manners,  purer  laws. 

5.  Ring  out  the  want,  the  care,  the  sin, 

The  faithless  coldness  of  the  times ; 
Ring  out,  ring  out  my  mournful  rhymes, 
But  ring  the  fuller  minstrel  in. 

6.  Ring  out  false  pride,  in  place  and  blood, 

The  civic  slander  and  the  spite ; 
Ring  in  the  love  of  truth  and  right. 
Ring  in  the  common  love  of  good. 

7.  Ring  out  old  shapes  of  foul  disease, 

Ring  out  the  narrowing  lust  of  gold, 
Ring  out  the  thousand  woes  of  old. 
Ring  in  the  thousand  years  of  peace. 


376  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

8.    Eing  in  the  valiant  man  and  free. 

The  larger  heart,  the  kindlier  hand ; 
Eing  out  tlie  darkness  of  the  land, 
Eing  in  the  Christ  that  is  to  be.  tenktson. 


20.     SUM]\rEE  EAIX. 

[77m  extract  should  he  read  with  varying  degrees  of  force,  and 
with  the  radical  stress,  ranging  from  unim2}assioned  to  emotional. 
The   last   two   stanzas   afford   scope  for    "imitative   expression."] 

1.  Now  on  the  hills  I  hear  the  thunder  mutter; 

The  wind  is  gathering  in  tlie  west; 
The  upturned  leaves  first  whiten  and  flutter, 

Tlien  droop  to  a  fitful  rest; 
Up  from  the  stream  witli  sluggish  flap 

Struggles  the  gull,  and  floats  away; 
Nearer  and  nearer  rolls  the  thunder-clap; 

We  shall  not  see  the  sun  go  down  to-day. 
Now  leaps  the  wind  on  the  sleepy  marsh, 

And  tramples  the  grass  with  terrified  feet ; 
The  startled  river  turns  leaden  and  harsh — 

You  can  hear  the  quick  heart  of  the  tempest  beat. 

2.  Look!  look!— that  livid  flash! 

And  instantly  follows  tlie  rattling  thunder, 
As  if  some  cloud-crag,  split  asunder. 

Fell,  splintering  with  a  ruinous  crash, 
On  the  earth,  which  crouches  in  silence  under; 

And  now  a  solid  gray  wall  of  rain 
Shuts  off  tlio  landscape,  mile  by  mile. 

For  a  breath's  space  I  see  the  blue  wood  again, 
And,  ere  tlie  next  heart-beat,  the  wind-hurled  pile. 

That  seemed  but  now  a  league  aloof, 

Bursts  rattling  over  the  sun-parched  roof. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  377 

3.    Acjainst  the  windows  the  storm  comes  dashing ; 
Through  tattered  foliage  the  hail  tears  crashing; 
The  blue  lightning  flashes ; 
The  rapid  hail  clashes ; 

The  white  waves  are  tumbling; 
And,  in  one  baffled  roar, 

Like  the  toothless  sea  mumbling 
A  rock-bristled  shore, 

The  thunder  is  rumbling, 

And  crashing,  and  crumbling — 
Will  silence  return  never  more  ?  lowell. 


21.     HYMN  TO   THE  NOETH   STAR 

[The  reading  of  this  poem  will  be  characterized  by  sloio  movement, 
median  stress,    orotund  quality,   and  middle  key.'\ 

1. 

The  sad  and  solemn  night 
Hath  yet  her  multitude  |  of  cheerful  fires ; 

The  glorious  host  of  light  | 
Walk  the  dark  atmosphere  [  till  she  rcM?*<?s; 
All  througli  her  silent  watches,  gliding  slow, 
Her  constellations  c6me,  and  climb  the  heavens,  and  go. 

2. 
JDcij/,  too,  hath  many  a  star  | 
To  grace  his  gorgeous  reign,  as  bright  as  tMi/ : 

Through  the  blue  fields  afar, 
Unseen,  they  follow  in  his  flaming  way : 
]\Iany  a  bright  lingerer,  as  the  eve  grows  dim, 
Tells  what  a  radiant  troop  |  arose  and  set  with  him. 

3. 

And  thoic  |  dost  see  tliem  rise, 
Star  of  the  Pole !  and  thou  \  dost  see  them  set. 

Alone,  in  thy  cold  skies, 
Thou  keep'st  thy  old  unmoving  station  y^t. 


378  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Nor  join'st  the  dances  |  of  that  glittering  train, 

Nor  dipp'st  thy  virgin  orb  |  in  the  blue  western  main. 

4. 
There,  at  morn's  rosy  birth, 
Thou  lookest  meekly  through  the  kindling  air. 

And  eve,  that  round  the  Earth  | 
Chases  the  day,  beholds  thee  |  watching  thhre ; 
TMre  \  ndontide  finds  thde,  and  the  hour  that  cdlls  | 
The  shapes  of  polar  flame  |  to  scale  heaven's  azure  walls. 

5. 

Alike,  beneath  thine  eye, 
The  deeds  of  darkness  \  and  of  light  \  are  done; 

High  toward  the  starlit  sl^  | 
Towns  blaze,  the  smoke  of  battle  blots  the  Siin; 
The  night-storm  on  a  thousand  hills  |  is  loud, 
And  the  strong  wind  of  day  |  doth  mingle  sea  and  cl6ud. 

6. 

On  thy  unaltering  blaze  [ 
The  half- wrecked  mariner,  his  compass  lost, 

Fixes  his  steady  gaze, 
And  steers,  undoubting,  to  the  friendly  coast ; 
And  they  who  stray  in  perilous  wastes,  by  wight. 
Are  glad  when  thou  dost  shine  [  to  guide  their  footsteps 
right. 

7. 
And  therefore  |  bards  of  old. 
Sages  and  hdrraits  of  the  solemn  wood. 

Did  I  in  thy  beams  |  behold  | 
A  beauteous  type  |  of  that  unchanging  good, 
That  bright  |  eternal  beacon,  by  whose  niy  | 
The  voyager  of  time  |  should  shape  his  heedful  wtiy. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  379 

22.     THE  AMERICAN  ELAG. 

[To    be   read    tcith    declamatory    and    dramatic   force,   radical    and 
thorough  stress,  and  orotund  qualUi/,] 

1.  When  Freedom  from  her  mountain  height 

Unfurled  her  standard  to  the  air, 
She  tore  the  azure  robe  of  night, 

And  set  the  stars  of  glory  there; 
She  mingled  with  its  gorgeous  dyes 
The  milky  baldric  of  the  skies, 
And  striped  its  pure  celestial  white 
With  streakings  of  the  morning  light; 
Then,  from  his  mansion  in  the  sun. 
She  called  her  eagle-bearer  down. 
And  gave  into  his  mighty  hand 
The  symbol  of  her  chosen  land. 

2.  Majestic  monarch  of  the  cloud ! 

Who  rear'st  aloft  thy  regal  form, 
To  hear  the  tempest-trumpings  loud 

And  see  the  lightning  lances  driven, 
When  strive  the  warriors  of  the  storm. 

And  rolls  the  tlmnder-drum  of  heaven, — 
Child  of  the  Sun !   to  thee  'tis  given 

To  guard  the  banner  of  the  free; 
To  hover  in  the  sulphur-smoke. 
To  ward  away  the  battle-stroke. 
And  bid  its  blendings  shine  afar, 
Like  rainbows  on  the  cloud  of  war — 

The  harbingers  of  victory ! 

3.  Flag  of  the  brave !  thy  folds  shall  fly, 
The  sign  of  hope  and  triumph  high, 
When  speaks  the  signal  trumpet  tone. 
And  the  long  line  comes  gleaming  on. 
Ere  yet  the  life-blood,  warm  and  wet, 
Has  dimmed  the  glistening  bayonet. 


380  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

Each  soldier's  eye  shall  brightly  turn 
To  where  thy  sky-born  glories  burn ; 
And,  as  his  springing  steps  advance. 
Catch  war  and  vengeance  from  the  glance ; 
And,  when  the  cannon-mouthings  loud 
Heave  in  wild  wreaths  the  battle-shroud, 
And  gory  sabres  rise  and  fall 
Like  shoots  of  flame  on  midnight's  pall. 
Then  shall  thy  meteor  glances  glow, 

And  cowering  foes  shall  fall  beneath 
Each  gallant  arm  that  strikes  below 

That  lovely  messenger  of  death. 

4.  Flag  of  the  seas !   on  ocean's  wave 
Thy  stars  shall  glitter  o'er  the  brave. 
When  Death,  careering  on  the  gale, 
Sweeps  darkly  round  the  bellied  sail. 
And  frighted  waves  rush  wildly  back, 
Before  the  broadside's  reeling  rack. 
Each  dying  wanderer  of  the  sea 
Shall  look  at  once  to  heaven  and  thee. 
And  smile  to  see  thy  splendors  fly. 

In  triumph,  o'er  his  closing  eye. 

5.  Flag  of  the  free  heart's  only  home. 

By  angel  hands  to  valor  given, 
Thy  stars  have  lit  the  welk'in  dome. 

And  all  thy  hues  were  born  in  heaven. 
Forever  float  that  standard  sheet ! 

Where  breathes  the  foe  but  falls  before  us, 
With  Freedom's  soil  beneath  our  feet, 

And  Freedom's  banner  waving  o'er  us ! 

Drake. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  381 

23.     THE   CHAMBEEED   NAUTILUS. 

[The  reading  of  this  2Joem  should  be  characterized  by  slow  movement, 
median  stress,  pure  tone,  and  orotund  quality.  To  be  marked  by  the 
class  for  cmpliasis,  inflection,  and  'pauses.'\ 

1. 

This  is  the  ship  of  pearl,  which,  poets  feigu, 

Sails  the  unshadowed  main, — 

The  venturous  bark  that  flings 
On  the  sweet  summer  wind  its  purpled  wings 
In  gulfs  enchanted,  where  the  siren  sings, 

And  coral  reefs  lie  bare. 
Where   the  cold   sea-maids   rise  to  sun   their   streaming 
hair. 

2. 
Its  webs  of  living  gauze  no  more  unfurl; 

Wrecked  is  the  ship  of  pearl ! 

And  every  chambered  cell, 
Where  its  dim  dreaming  life  was  wont  to  dwell, 
As  the  frail  tenant  shaped  his  growing  shell. 

Before  thee  lies  revealed — 
Its  irised  ceiling  rent,  its  sunless  crypt  unsealed ! 

3. 
Year  after  year  beheld  the  silent  toil 
That  spread  his  lustrous  coil ; 
Still,  as  the  spiral  grew. 
He  left  the  past  year's  dwelling  for  the  new, 
Stole  with  soft  step  its  shining  archway  through, 

Built  up  its  idle  door, 
Stretched  in  his  last  found  home,  and  knew  the  old  no 
more. 

4. 
Thanks  for  the  heavenly  message  brought  by  thee, 
Child  of  the  wandering  sea, 
Cast  from  her  lap  forlorn ! 


382  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

From  thy  dead  lips  a  clearer  note  is  born 
Than  ever  Triton  blew  from  wreathdd  horn! 

While  on  my  ear  it  rings, 
Through  the  deep  caves  of  thought  I  hear  a  voice  that 
sings,— 

5. 
Build  thee  more  stately  mansions,  0  my  soul, 

As  the  swift  seasons  roll ! 

Leave  thy  low-vaulted  past ! 
Let  each  new  temple,  nobler  than  the  last. 
Shut  thee  from  heaven  with  a  dome  more  vast, 

Till  thou  at  length  art  free, 
Leaving  thine  outgrown  shell  by  life's  unresting  sea ! 

Holmes. 


24     KENTUCKY   BELLK 

1. 

Summer  of  'sixty-three,  sir,  and  Conrad  was  gone  away, 
Gone  to  the  county-town,  sir,  to  sell  our  first  load  of  hay ; 
We  lived  in  the  log-house  yonder,  poor  as  ever  you  '\e 

seen; 
Eoschen  there  was  a  baby,  and  I  was  only  nineteen. 

2. 

Conrad,  he  took  the  oxen,  but  he  left  Kentucky  Belle. 

How  much  we  thought  of  Kentuck,  I  could  n't  begin  to 
tell— 

Came  from  the  Blue-Grass  country;  my  father  gave  her 
to  me 

When  I  rode  north  with  Conrad,  away  from  the  Ten- 
nessee. 

3. 

Conrad  lived  in  Ohio,  a  German  he  is,  you  know ; 
The  house  stood  in  broad   cornfields,  stretching  on,  row 
after  row. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  383 

The  old  folks  made  me  welcome;  they  were  kind  as 
kind  could  be ; 

But  I  kept  longing,  longing,  for  the  hills  of  the  Ten- 
nessee. 

4. 

Oh  !  for  a  sight  of  water,  the  shadowed  slope  of  a  hill ! 
Clouds   that   hang  on  the  summit,  a  wind  that  never  is 

still ! 
But   the  level   land  went   stretching   away  to   meet   the 

sky, 
Never  a  rise,  from  north  to  south,  to  rest  the  weary  eye  I 

5. 
From  east  to  west,  no  river  to  shine  out  under  the  moon. 
Nothing  to  make  a  shadow  in  the  yellow  afternoon : 
Only  the  breathless  sunshine,  as  I  looked  out,  all  forlorn ; 
Only  the  "rustle,  rustle,"  as  I  walked  among  the  corn. 

6. 

When  I  fell  sick  witli  pining,  we  did  n't  wait  any  more, 

But  moved  away  from  the  corn-lauds,  out  to  this  river- 
shore — 

The  Tuscarawas  it 's  called,  sir ;  off  there 's  a  hill,  you 
see; 

And  now  I've  grown  to  like  it  next  best  to  the  Ten- 
nessee. 

7. 
I  was   at   work   that   morning.     Some   one   came   riding 

like  mad 
Over  the  bridge  and  up  the  road — Farmer  Eouf's  little 

lad. 
Bareback   he   rode ;   he   had  no  hat ;   he  hardly  stopped 

to  say, 
"  Morgan's  men  are  coming,  Frau ;  they  're  galloping  on 

this  way. 


384  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 


"I'm   sent  to   warn   the   neighbors.      He    isn't  a  mile 

behind ; 
He  sweeps  up  all  the  horses — every  horse  that  he  can 

find. 
Morgan,  Morgan  the  raider,  and  Morgan's  terrible  men, 
"With   bowie-knives    and   pistols,   are  galloping    up    the 

glen ! " 

9. 

The  lad  rode  down  the  valley,  and  I  stood  still  at  the 

door; 
The  baby  laughed   and   prattled,  played  with   spools   on 

the  floor; 
Kentuck  was  out  in  the  pasture ;  Conrad,  my  man,  M-as 

gone. 
Near,  nearer,  Morgan's  men  were  galloping,  galloping  on ! 

10. 
Sudden  I  picked  up  baby,  and  ran  to  the  pasture-bar ; 
"  Kentuck  ! "  I  called — "  Kentucky  ! "     She  knew  me  ever 

so  far ! 
I  led  her  down  the  gully  that  turns  off  there  to  the  right. 
And  tied  her  to  the  bushes,  her  head  just  out  of  sight. 

11. 

As  I  ran  back  to  the  log  house,  at   once  there   came   a 

sound — 
The   ring   of  hoofs,  galloping   hoofs,  trembling   over   the 

ground — 
Coming  into  the  turnpike  out  from  the  White-Woman- 

Glen, 
Morgan,  Morgan  the  raider,  and  Morgan's  terrible  men. 

12. 
As   near   they   drew  and   nearer,  my  heart   beat   fast  in 
alarm ; 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  385 

But  still  I  stood  in  the  door-way,  with  baby  on  my  arm. 
They  came;  they  passed;  with  spur  and  whip  in  haste 

they  sped  along — 
Morgan,  Morgan   the  raider,  and  his  band,  six  hundred 

strong. 

13. 

Weary  they  looked  and  jaded,  riding  through  night  and 

through  day ; 
Pushing  on  east  to  the  river,  many  long  miles  away, 
To  the  border-strip  where  Virginia  runs  up  into  the  west. 
And  fording  the  Upper  Ohio  before  they  could  stop  to  rest. 

14. 
On   like   the   wind   they   hurried,   and   Morgan   rode   in 

advance ; 
Bright  were  his  eyes  like  live   coals,  as  he  gave  me   a 

sideways  glance; 
And  I  was  just  breathing  freely,  after  my  choking  pain, 
When  the  last  one  of  the  troopers  suddenly  drew  his  rein. 

15. 
Frightened  I  was  to  death,  sir;   I  scarce  dared  look  in 

his  face. 
As   he   asked   for  a  drink  of  water,  and  glanced  around 

the  place. 
I  gave   him   a   cup,  and  he  smiled — 'twas   only  a  boy, 

you  see; 
Faint   and   worn,  with  dim-blue   eyes;   and  he'd   sailed 

on  the  Tennessee. 

16. 

Only  sixteen  he  was,  sir — a  fond  mother's  only  son — 

Off  and  away  with   Morgan  before  his  life  had  begun ! 

The  damp  drops  stood  on  his   temples ;   drawn  was   the 

boyish  mouth ; 

And  I  thought  me  of  the  mother  waiting  down  in  the 

South. 

25 


386  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

17. 

Oil !  pluck  was  he  to  the  backbone,  and  clear  grit  through 
and  through ; 

Boasted  and  bragged  like  a  trooper;  but  the  big  words 
would  n't  do  ;  — 

The  boy  was  dying,  sir,  dying,  as  plain  as  plain  could  be. 

Worn  out  by  his  ride  with  Morgan  up  from  the  Ten- 
nessee. 

18. 
But  when   I  told   the   laddie   that   I   too  was  from  the 

South, 
Water  came   in   his   dim   eyes,  and   qidvers   around   his 

mouth. 
"  Do   you   know   the   Blue-Grass   country  ? "   he   wistful 

began  to  say; 
Then   swayed   like   a   willow-sapling,   and   fainted    dead 

away. 

19. 
I  had  him  into  the  log  house,  and  worked  and  brought 

him  to ; 
I  fed  him,  and  I  coaxed  him,  as  I  thought  his  mother 'd 

do ; 
And  when  the  lad  got  better,  and  the  noise  in  his  head 

w^as  gone, 
Morgan's  men  were  miles  away,  galloping,  galloping  on. 

20. 
"  Oh,  I  must  go,"  he  muttered ;  "  I  must  be  up  and  away  ! 
Morgan — Morgan   is   waiting    for   me !      Oh,   what   will 

Morgan  say  ? " 
But  I  heard  a  sound  of   tramping  and  kept  him  back 

from  the  door — 
The   ringing   sound   of  horses'   hoofs   that   I   had   heard 

before. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  387 

21. 

And  on,  on,  came  the  soldiers — the  Michigan  cavalry — 
And   fast   they   rode,  and   black   they   looked,   galloping 

rapidly, — 
They  had   followed   hard   on  Morgan's   track ;   they  had 

followed  day  and  night ; 
But   of  Morgan   and   Morgan's   raiders   they  never   had 

caught  a  sight. 

22. 
And   rich  Ohio  sat   startled   through   all   those   summer 

days ; 
For,  strange,  wild   men  were   galloping   over   her   broad' 

highways — 
Now  here,  now  there,  now  seen,  now  gone,  now  north, 

now  east,  now  west. 
Through    river-valleys    and    corn-land    farms,    sweeping 

away  her  best. 

23. 

A  bold  ride  and  a  long  ride  !     But  they  were  taken  at 

last. 
They  almost  reached  the  river  by  galloping  hard  and  fast ; 
But   the   boys   in   blue  were   upon  them   ere  ever  they 

gained  the  ford. 
And  Morgan,  Morgan  the  raider,  laid  down  his  terrible 

sword. 

24 

Well,  I  kept  the  boy  till  evening — ^kept  him  against 
his  will — 

But  he  was  too  weak  to  follow,  and  sat  there  pale  and 
still. 

When  it  was  cool  and  dusky — you  '11  wonder  to  hear 
me  tell — 

But  I  stole  down  to  that  gully,  and  brought  up  Ken- 
tucky Belle. 


388  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

25. 

I  kissed  the  star  on  her  forehead — my  pretty,  gentle 
lass — 

But  I  knew  that  she  'd  be  happy  back  in  the  old  Blue- 
Grass. 

A  suit  of  clothes  of  Conrad's  with  all  tlie  money  I  had, 

And  Kentuck,  pretty  Kentuck,  I  gave  to  the  worn-out 
lad. 

26. 

I  guided  him  to  the  southward  as  well  as  I  knew  how ; 

The  boy  rode  off  with  many  thanks,  and  many  a  back- 
ward bow ; 

And  then  the  glow  it  faded,  and  my  heart  began  to 
swell. 

As  down  the  glen  away  she  went,  my  lost  Kentucky 
BeUe! 

27. 
When  Conrad  came  in  the  evening,  the  moon  was  shin- 

in^r  hio'h  ; 
Baby   and    I   both   were    crying — I   could  n't    tell    him 

why — 
But  a   battered  suit  of  rebel  gray  was  hanging  on   the 

wall, 
And    a   thin,   old   horse   with   drooping  head,   stood    in 

Kentucky's  stall. 

28. 

Well,  he  was  kind,  and  never  once  said  a  hard  word  to 

me  ; 
He  knew  I  could  n't  help  it — 't  was  all  for  the  Tennessee. 
But,  after  the  war  was   over,  just   think  what  came  to 

pass — 
A  letter,  sir ;   and   the   two  were   safe   back   in  the  old 

Blue-Grass. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  389 

29. 

The  lad  got  over  the  border,  riding  Kentucky  Belle ; 
And  Kentuck  she  was  thriving,  and  fat,  and  hearty,  and 

well ; 
He   cared   for  her  and  kept  her,  nor  touched   her  wdth 

whip  or  spur. 
Ah !   we  've  had  many  horses   since,  but  never  a  horse 

like  her ! 

Constance  F.  Woolson. 


25.     THE   CHAECOAL  MAK 

Though  rudely  blows  the  wintry  blast, 
And  sifting  snows  fall  white  and  fast, 
Mark  Haley  drives  along  the  street, 
Perched  high  upon  his  wagon  seat; 
His  somber  face  the  storm  defies. 
And  thus  from  morn  till  eve  he  cries, — 

"  Chared !   chared!  " 
While  echo  faint  and  far  replies, — 

"Harlc,  0!   Hark,  0!" 
"  Charco'!  " — "  Harh,  0  !  " — Such  cheery  sounds 
Attend  him  on  his  daily  rounds. 

The  dust  begrimes  his  ancient  hat; 

His  coat  is  darker  far  than  that ; 

'T  is  odd  to  see  his  sooty  form 

All  speckled  with  tlie  feathery  storm  ; 

Yet  in  his  honest  bosom  lies 

Nor  spot  nor  speck, — though  still  he  cries, — 

"  Chared  I   eharcd!  " 
And  many  a  roguish  lad  replies, — 

"  Ark,  ho  !   ark,  ho  !  " 
"  Chared!  " — "  Ark,  ho  !  " — Such  various  sounds 
Announce  Mark  Haley's  morning  rounds. 


390  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

3.  Thus  all  the  cold  and  wintry  day 
He  labors  much  for  little  pay; 
Yet  feels  no  less  of  happiness 
Than  many  a  richer  man,  I  guess, 
When  through  the  shades  of  eve  he  spies 
The  light  of  his  own  home,  and  cries, — 

"  Chared!   chared!  " 
And  Martha  from  the  door  replies, — 

''Mark,  ho!   Marh,  ho!" 
"  Chared!  " — Mark,  ho  !  " — Such  joy  abounds 
When  he  has  closed  his  daily  rounds. 

4.  The  hearth  is  warm,  the  fire  is  bright ; 

And  while  his  hand,  washed  clean  and  white, 
Holds  Martha's  tender  hand  once  more, 
His  glowing  face  bends  fondly  o'er 
The  crib  wherein  his  darling  lies, 
And  in  a  coaxing  tone  he  cries, 

"  Chared!   chared!  " 
And  baby  with  a  laugh  replies, — 

"  Ah,  go  !   ah,  go  !  " 
"  Chared!  " — "  Ah,  go  !  " — while  at  the  sounds 
The  mother's  heart  with  gladness  bounds. 

5.  Then  honored  be  the  charcoal  man  ! 
Though  dusky  as  an  African, 

'Tis  not  for  you,  that  chance  to  be 
A  little  better  clad  than  he, 
His  honest  manhood  to  despise, 
Although  from  morn  till  eve  he  cries, — 

"  Chared!   chared!  " 
While  mocking  echo  still  replies, — 

"Hark,  0!   hark,  0!" 
"Chared!" — "Hark,  0.'" — Long  may  the  sounds 
Proclaim  Mark  Haley's  daily  rounds.     Trowbridge. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  391 

26.    GEANDMOTHEE'S  STOEY  OF  BUNKEE  HILL. 

[The  sinrited  rendering  of  this  graphic  picture  affords  a  wide  scope 
for  variety  of  expression.     Care  must  he  taken  not  to  overdo  it.^ 

1. 
'Tis   like   stirring    living   embers   when,   at   eighty,    one 

remembers 
All   the  achings  and   the  quakings   of  "the   times   that 

tried  men's  souls  " ; 
When  I  talk  of  Whig  and  Tory,  when  I  tell  the  Rebel 

story. 
To  you  the  words  are  ashes,  but  to  me  they're  burning 

coals. 

2. 

I  had  heard   the   muskets'  rattle  of  the  April  running 

battle ; 
Lord  Percy's  hunted  soldiers,  I  can  see  their  red  coats 

still ; 
But  a  deadly  chill  comes  o'er  me,  as  the  day  looms  up 

before  me. 
When  a  thousand   men  lay   bleeding  on   the   slopes   of 

Bunker's  Hill. 

3. 

'T  was   a    peaceful    summer's    morning,   when    the    first 

thing  gave  us  warning 
Was  the  booming  of  the  cannon  from  the  river  and  the 

shore : 
"Child,"  says  grandma,  "what's  the  matter,  w^hat  is  all 

this  noise  and  clatter  ? 
Have  those  scalping   Indian   devils  come  to  murder  us 

once  more  ? " 

4. 
Poor  old  soul !   my  sides  were  shaking  in  the  midst  of 

all  my  quaking, 
To  hear  her  talk  of  Indians  when  the  guns  betjan  to  roar : 


392  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

She    had    seen   the   burning   village,   and   the    slaughter 

and  the  pillage, 
When  the  Mohawks  killed  her  father  with  their  bullets 

throuo-h  his  door. 

5. 
Then  I  said,  "Now,  dear  old  granny,  don't  you  fret  and 

worry  any. 
For  I  '11  soon  come  back  and   tell  you  whether  this  is 

work  or  play ; 
There    can't  be   mischief  in   it,   so  I   won't  be   gone   a 

minute  " — 
For  a  minute  then  I  started.     I  was  gone  the  livelong 

day. 

6. 
Ko  time  for  bodice-lacing  or  for  looking-glass  grimacing ; 
Down   my  liair   went   as   I   hurried,  tumbling   half-way 

to  my  heels ; 
God    forbid    your    ever    knowing,    when    there's    blood 

around  her  flowing. 
How  the  lonely,  helpless  daughter  of  a  quiet  household 

feels ! 

7. 
In   the  street  I  heard  a  thumping;   and  I  knew  it  was 

the  stumping 
Of  the  Corporal,  our  old  neighbor,'  on  that  wooden  leg 

he  wore, 
With  a  knot  of  women  round  him, — it  was  lucky  I  liad 

found  him, 
trj  I  followed  with  the  others,  and  the  Corporal  marched 

before. 

8. 
They  were  making  for  the  steeple, — the  old  soldier  and 
his  people; 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  393 

The  pigeons  circled  round  us  as  we  climbed  the  creak- 
ing stair, 

Just  across  the  narrow  river — 0,  so  close .  it  made  me 
shiver !  — 

Stood  a  fortress  on  the  hill-top  that  but  yesterday  was 
bare. 

9. 

Not  slow  our  eyes  to  find  it;  well  we  knew  who  stood 
behind  it, 

Though  the  earthwork  hid  them  from  us,  and  the  stub- 
born walls  were  dumb : 

Here  were  sister,  wife,  and  mother,  looking  wild  upon 
each  other. 

And  their  lips  were  white  with  terror  as  they  said,  The 

HOUR  HAS   COME  ! 

10. 

The    morning    slowly    wasted,    not    a    morsel    had    we 

tasted, 
And  our  heads  were  almost  splitting  with   the  cannons' 

deafening  thrill. 
When  a  figure  tall  and  stately  round  the  rampart  strode 

sedately ; 
It  was  Prescott,  one  since  told  me ;  he  commanded  on 

the  hill. 

11. 

Every   woman's    heart    grew    bigger   when   we    saw   his 

manly  figure. 
With    the    banyan    buckled    round    it,   standing    up    so 

straight  and  tall ; 
Like   a  gentleman   of   leisure   who   is   strolling   out    for 

pleasure, 
Through  the  storm  of  shells  and  cannon-shot  he  walked 

around  the  wall. 


394  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

12. 

At  eleven  the  streets  were  swarming,  for  the  red-coats' 
ranks  were  forming ; 

At  noon  in  marching  order  they  were  moving  to  the  piers ; 

How  the  bayonets  gleamed  and  glistened,  as  we  looked 
far  down  and  listened 

To  the  tramping  and  the  drum-beat  cf  the  belted  gren- 
adiers ! 

10 
o. 

At  length  the  men  have  started,  with  a  cheer  (it  seemed 

faint-hearted), 
In   their   scarlet    regimentals,   with    their  knapsacks   on 

their  backs. 
And   the  reddening   rippling  water,  as  after  a  sea-fight's 

slaughter, 
Eound    the   barges    glidincr   onward    blushed    like   blood 

along  their  tracks. 

14. 
So   they   crossed    to    the   other  border,   and   again  they 

formed  in  order; 
And  the  boats  came  back  for  soldiers,  came  for  soldiers, 

soldiers  still : 
The   time    seemed    everlasting    to   us   women   faint   and 

fasting, — 
At  last  they  're  moving,  marching,  marching  proudly  up 

the  hill. 

15. 

We  can  see  the  bright  steel  glancing  all  along  the  lines 

advancing — 
Now   the   front   rank   fire   a   volley — they   have    thrown 

away  their  shot; 
For   behind    their   eartliwork   lying,   all   the   balls  above 

them  fiying, 
Our  people  need  not  hurry ;  so  they  wait  and  answer  not. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  395 

16. 

Then  the  Corporal,  our  old  cripple  (he  would  swear  some- 
times aud  tipple), — 

He  had  heard  the  bullets  whistle  (in  the  old  French 
war)  before, — 

Calls  out  in  words  of  jeering,  just  as  if  they  all  were 
hearing, — 

And  his  wooden  leg  thumps  fiercely  on  the  dusty  belfry 
floor : — 

17. 
"  Oh !    fire   away,   ye   villains,   and   earn   King   George's 

shillin's. 
But  ye  '11  waste  a  ton  of  powder  afore   a  '  rebel '   falls ; 
You  may  bang  the  dirt  and  welcome,  they  're  as  safe  as 

Dan'l  Malcolm 
Ten  feet  beneath  the  gravestone  that  you  've  splintered 

with  your  balls!" 

18. 

In  the  hush  of  expectation,  in  the  awe  and  trepidation 
Of    the    dread    approaching    moment,    we    are   wellnigh 

breathless  all ; 
Though  the  rotten  bars  are  failing  on  the  rickety  belfry 

railing, 
We  are  crowding  up  against  them  like  the  waves  against 

a  wall 

19. 
Just   a  glimpse  (the  air  is  clearer),  they  are  nearer, — 

nearer, — nearer, 
When  a  flash — a  curling  smoke-wreath — then  a  crash — 

the  steeple  shakes — 
The    deadly   truce   is   ended ;    the    tempest's   shroud    is 

rended ; 
Like   a   morning  mist  it  gathered,  like  a  thunder-cloud 

it  breaks ! 


396  SCHOOL  elocution". 

20. 

0  the  sight  our  eyes  discover  as  the  blue-black  smoke 

blows  over  ! 
The  red-coats  stretched  in  windrows  as  a  mower  rakes 

liis  hay ; 
Here  a  scarlet  heap  is  lying,  there  a  headlong  crowd  is 

flying 
Like    a    billow   that  has   broken   and   is   shivered    into 

spray. 

21. 

Then  we  cried,  "  The  troops  are  routed  !  they  are  beat — 

it  can't  ])e  doubted  ! 
God  be  thanked,  the  fight  is  over !  " — Ah !  the  grim  old 

soldier's  smile  ! 
"  Tell  us,  tell  us  why  you  look  so  ? "  (we  could  hardly 

speak,  we  shook  so), — 
"Are  they  beaten  ?  Are  they  beaten  ?  Ake  they  beaten  ?" 

—"Wait  a  while." 

22. 
0  the   trembling  and   the  terror  !   for  too   soon  we   saw 

our  error : 
They   are   bafHed,   not   defeated;   we   have   driven   them 

back  in  vain. 
And   the   columns  that  were  scattered,  round   the  colors 

that  were  tattered. 
Toward  the  sullen  silent  fortress  turn  their  belted  breasts 

again. 

23. 
All   at  once,  as  we  are  gazinG:,  lo  the  roofs   of  Charles- 

town  blazing ! 
They  have  fired  the  harmless  village ;  in  an  hour  it  will 

be  down ; 
The    Lord   in   heaven   confound   them,  rain   his  fire  and 

brimstone  round  them, — 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  397 

The  robbing,  murdering  red-coats  that  would  burn  a 
peaceful  town ! 

24 
Tliey  are  marching,  stern  and  solemn;  we  can  see  each 

massive  column 
As  they  near  the  naked   earth-mound  with  the  slanting 

walls  so  steep. 
Have    our    soldiers    got   faint-hearted,   and   in    noiseless 

haste  departed  ? 
Are   they  panic-struck  and    helpless  ?     Are  they  palsied 

or  asleep  ? 

25. 

N'ow !  the  walls  they  're  almost  under !  scarce  a  rod  the 
foes  asunder! 

Not  a  firelock  flashed  against  them !  up  the  earthwork 
they  will  swarm ! 

But  the  words  have  scarce  been  spoken,  when  the  omi- 
nous calm  is  broken, 

And  a  bellowing  crash  has  emptied  all  the  vengeance 
of  the  storm ! 

26. 
So   again,   with  murderous   slaughter,   pelted  backwards 

to  the  water, 
Fly  Pigot's    running    heroes    and   the   frightened   braves 

of  Howe; 
And  we    shout,  "  At    last    they  're    done  for,  it 's    their 

barges  they  have  run  for : 
They  are   beaten,  beaten,  beaten ;   and   the  battle  's  over 

now  !" 

27. 
And  we  looked,  poor  timid   creatures,  on  the  rough  old 

soldier's  features. 
Our  lips  afraid  to  question,  but  he  knew  what  we  would 

ask: 


398  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

"  Not  sure,"  he  said  ;  "  keep  quiet, — once  more,  I  guess, 

they'll  try  it- 
Here  's  damnation  to  the  cut-throats  ! " — then  he  handed 

me  his  flask, 

28. 
Saying,   "Gal,   you're   looking   shaky;    have   a   drop   of 

old  Jamaiky ; 
I  'm   afeard   tliere  '11   be   more   trouble   afore   the  job  is 

done ; " 
So  I  took  one  scorching   swallow;   dreadful   faint  I  felt 

and  hollow, 
Standing  tliere  from  early  morning  when  the  firing  was 

begun. 

29. 

All  through  thosR  hours  of  trial  I  had  watched  a  calm 
clock-dial. 

As  the  hands  kept  creeping,  creeping, — they  were  creep- 
ing round  to  four, 

When  the  old  man  said,  "  They  're  forming  with  their 
bagonets  fixed  for  storming : 

It 's  the  death-grip  that 's  a  coming, — they  will  try  the 
works  once  more." 

30. 

With  brazen  trumpets  blaring,  the  flames  behind  them 
glaring, 

The  deadly  wall  before  them,  in  close  array  they  come ; 

Still  onward,  upward  toiling,  like  a  dragon's  fold  un- 
coiling,— 

Like  the  rattlesnake's  shrill  warning  the  reverberating 
drum! 

31. 

Over  heaps   all   torn  and  gory — shall  I  tell  the    fearful 

story. 


SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  399 

How  they  surged  above  the  breastwork,  as  a  sea  breaks 
o'er  a  deck; 

How,  driven,  yet  scarce  defeated,  our  worn-out  men  re- 
treated, 

With  their  powder-horns  all  emptied,  like  the  swimmers 
from  a  wreck? 

32. 
It   has   all  been  told  and  painted ;  as  for  me,  they  say 

I  fainted. 
And   the  wooden-legged  old  Corporal   stumped  with  me 

down  the  stair : 
When  I  Avoke  from  dreams  affrighted,  the  evening  lamps 

were  lighted, — 
On    the    floor   a   youth  was   lying;    his   bleeding   breast 

was  bare. 

33. 

And  I  heard  through  all  the  flurry,  "Send  for  Waeren! 

hurry !    hurry ! 
Tell  him  here 's  a  soldier  bleeding,  and  he  '11  come  and 

dress  his  wound  !  " 
Ah,  we  knew  not  till  the  morrow  told  its  tale  of  death 

and  sorrow. 
How  the  starlight  found  him  stiffened  on  the  dark  and 

bloody  ground. 

34. 
Who   the   youth   was,    what  his   name   was,   where   the 

place  from  which  he  came  was, 
Who   had    brought   him   from   the   battle,  and   had   left 

him  at  our  door. 
He  could    not  speak  to  tell  us;   but  'twas  one   of  our 

brave  fellows, 
As  the   homespun  plainly  showed   us  which  the    dying 

soldier  wore. 


400  SCHOOL    ELOCUTION. 

35. 

For  they  all  thought   he   was   dying,  as   they  gathered 

round  him  crying, — 
And  they  said,  "0,  how  they'll  miss  him!"  and,  "What 

will  his  mother  do  ? " 
Tlieu,  his  eyelids  just  unclosing  like  a  child's   that   has 

been  dozing. 
He  faintly  murmured,  "  Mother  !  " — and — I  saw  his  eyes 

were  blue. 

36. 
— "  Why,  grandma,  how  you  're  winking !  " — Ah,  my  child, 

it  sets  me  thinking 
Of  a  story  not  like  this  one.     Well,  he  somehow  lived 

along ; 
So  we  came  to  know  each  other,  and  I  nursed  him  like 

a — mother. 
Till    at   last  he  stood  before  me,  tall,  and  rosy-cheeked, 

and  strong. 

37. 

And  we  sometimes  walked  together  in  the  pleasant  sum- 
mer weather ; 

— "  Please  to  tell  us  what  his  name  was  ?  " — Just  your 
own,  my  little  dear, 

There's  his  picture  Copley  painted:  we  became  so  well 
acquainted, 

That — in  short,  that's  why  I'm  grandma,  and  you  chil- 
dren all  are  here  !  holmes. 


u>-LH-Toung   Hesearch   Library 

PN4111    .S97s    1884 

y 


L  009   605   314   5 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


AA    001  235  424    7 


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